Why E/M revenue went up slightly in 2010, despite consult elimination

Why This Topic Matters

Understanding the revenue effect of consult elimination helps practices interpret performance changes, benchmark utilization, and anticipate how payer policy and patient mix can affect E/M billing patterns. The article also provides context for national claims trends that may not reflect all patient populations equally.

Article Sections

1. E/M analysis

   Introduces the national E/M revenue trend and the overall effect of consult elimination on Medicare billing patterns. Summarizes the article’s focus on practice behavior and utilization changes.

2. Practices billing higher levels or follow-up visits

   Discusses how some practices adjusted their E/M coding patterns after consult elimination. Covers practice workflow, documentation, and billing behavior in relation to office and hospital E/M services.

3. Enrollment shift

   Explains how changes in patient enrollment and Medicare Advantage activity influenced national E/M utilization data. Addresses why reported claims volume may differ from underlying patient volume across specialties.

4. Support from data

   Summarizes the national claims counts cited in the article and the broader utilization trend over several years. Places the 2010 change in context with prior E/M growth patterns.