AMA CPT® Assistant - 2000 Issue 12 (December)
Evaluation and Management: Time (December 2000)
December 2000 pages 10-11 Back to Basics Evaluation and Management: Time "I don't really care how time is reckoned so long as there is some agreement about it." (Robertson Davies, The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks, 1947, XIX, Sunday.). Having a uniform standard of time is obviously a big issue for everyone all around the world. An issue that effects a number of very important aspects of our lives: When we start and end our days, for example. However, it was not very long ago that some 100 million Americans were observing time based on their own local...
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Article Overview
This article explains the general CPT framework for evaluation and management services with an emphasis on time-based considerations. It is aimed at coders, billers, and compliance staff who need to understand how visit time is discussed in CPT, how typical times appear in descriptors, and when time may become a central part of code selection. The article addresses broad guidance for different visit scenarios and documentation expectations without serving as a substitute for the underlying CPT reference.
Why This Topic Matters
Evaluation and management coding is one of the most frequently used and closely reviewed areas in medical billing. Understanding how CPT treats time helps readers interpret guidance consistently and recognize when documentation should support time-based reporting.
Article Sections
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December 2000 pages 10-11
Introductory material setting up the article’s focus on time in evaluation and management coding and its role within CPT guidance.
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Back to Basics
A general framing section that introduces the topic and places the discussion in a broader coding context.
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Time in CPT
An overview of how time is addressed in CPT and why it is relevant to evaluation and management services.
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Typical Times in Code Descriptors
Discussion of the role of typical times in visit code descriptors and the general relationship between time and service documentation.
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Time as the Key Factor
A general explanation of when time may become the controlling consideration in evaluation and management reporting and the related documentation emphasis.
What You Will Learn
- How time is discussed in the CPT evaluation and management framework
- When time may become an important factor in visit-level selection
- How typical time information is presented in code descriptors
- Why documentation matters when time is used in coding decisions
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding educators
- Compliance staff
- Physician practices
- Billing professionals
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