Sweeping E/M code, documentation changes emerge ahead of 2021 ready date

Why This Topic Matters

Office and outpatient E/M services are high-volume, high-impact services for many practices, so changes to documentation and code structure can affect compliance, workflow, and reimbursement planning.

Article Sections

1. Overview of upcoming E/M changes

   Introduces the announced updates to office and outpatient E/M coding and documentation, including the organizations involved and the general timing of the changes.

2. Time-based reporting

   Describes the shift toward time as one of the available reporting approaches and summarizes the types of day-of-service activities discussed in the guidance.

3. Typical times vs. planned times for 2021

   Presents a comparison of current office visit time patterns with the planned 2021 time structure for the affected E/M codes.

4. Map out medical decision-making

   Explains the updated medical decision-making framework and how the revised table is described in relation to existing documentation guidance.