Reader Questions: No Inpatient Contact = No E/M Service

Article Overview

This article addresses a common question about inpatient evaluation and management reporting when a physician has no face-to-face contact with a hospitalized patient on the discharge day. It discusses broad inpatient service categories, discharge-day management, documentation expectations, and the relationship between inpatient reporting and the postoperative global period. The content is useful for coders, billing staff, and physicians who want a general understanding of when inpatient E/M services are discussed in coding guidance.