E/M payment changes: CMS proposes multi-service reduction for office procedures, E/Ms

Article Overview

This article covers a CMS proposal in the 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule that would change payment when office E/M visits and procedures are furnished together. It is relevant to physicians, coders, billing staff, and reimbursement analysts who follow Medicare physician payment policy and office-based reporting practices. The article also discusses CMS’s proposed adjustments to the work value of selected office procedure codes and the broader policy rationale behind the changes.