decisionhealth Newsletters, Coder Pink Sheets - 2018 Issue 12 (December)
2019 Final fee schedule: Prepare for modest E/M documentation changes, no modifier 25 cuts
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article explains selected changes in CMS’s 2019 final Medicare physician fee schedule that affect evaluation and management documentation, workflow burden, same-day service policy, and home visit reporting. It is relevant to physicians, coders, billers, practice managers, and compliance staff who follow Medicare policy updates and documentation expectations. The discussion focuses on broad policy direction, documentation relief, and areas where CMS did or did not finalize proposed changes.
Why This Topic Matters
These policy updates can affect how practices document visits, structure workflows, and report certain outpatient and home visit services under Medicare. Understanding the finalized changes helps practices assess operational impact and prepare for future payment and documentation revisions.
Article Sections
-
Overview of 2019 E/M policy direction
Introduces the overall 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule outlook for evaluation and management services and notes the broader policy changes under consideration.
-
Reduce administrative tasks
Summarizes documentation-related revisions intended to reduce redundancy in medical record entry and ease administrative burden in clinical workflows.
-
Responses swing from favorable to cautious
Describes reactions from medical societies and practice leaders to the final rule’s documentation and workflow-related changes.
-
E/Ms and modifier 25
Covers CMS’s decision not to finalize a proposed same-day E/M and minor procedure payment reduction and the related policy concerns raised in comments.
-
Home visits in the clear
Explains the final rule’s home visit documentation update and references reporting of home visit service codes under Medicare.
What You Will Learn
- How CMS framed its 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule changes for evaluation and management services
- What broad documentation workflow changes were finalized for medical records
- How stakeholder groups responded to the final rule
- What happened to the proposed same-day E/M payment reduction policy
- What general changes were made to home visit reporting requirements
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billers
- Compliance professionals
- Physician practices
- Practice managers
- Revenue cycle staff
- Health information management professionals
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com