BC Advantage - 2021 Issue 1
E/M 2021: A New Year Brings Some Big Changes
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Article Overview
This article explains the 2021 changes to office and outpatient evaluation and management coding and why they matter for clinicians, coders, and health IT users. It focuses on the revised framework for choosing visit levels, the updated time and medical decision making concepts, the retirement of one office visit code, and the way an EHR workflow will reflect the new guidance. It is intended for anyone who needs a practical high-level understanding of the E/M 2021 transition without the full technical detail.
Why This Topic Matters
The 2021 E/M changes affect how office and outpatient visits are documented, selected, and supported in workflows. Understanding the scope of the update helps practices prepare for coding changes, documentation expectations, and software adjustments.
Article Sections
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Overview of the 2021 E/M changes
Introduces the new office/outpatient E/M framework and places it in the broader context of administrative simplification efforts. Summarizes the main shift in how visit levels are determined.
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Time-based coding
Reviews the updated role of time in office/outpatient E/M selection and the types of activities that may be counted. Also notes general limitations and special considerations tied to the new approach.
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Medical decision making
Summarizes the revised medical decision making framework and the major elements used to assess level of service. Covers the overall structure of the updated decision table and related definitions.
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How Acumen 2.0 is responding to these changes
Describes planned software updates and workflow support related to the new E/M definitions. Notes how the system will reflect the transition in coding selection and visit-level calculation.
What You Will Learn
- What changed in the 2021 office/outpatient E/M framework
- How time and medical decision making are used in the revised system
- What general types of activities may be considered in time-based selection
- How the updated decision-making structure is organized
- How practice software workflows may adapt to the new guidance
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Medical coders
- Clinical documentation staff
- Health information management professionals
- Practice managers
- Health IT users
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
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