Countdown to 2021: Be Ready to Change Your New Patient Outpatient E/M Coding

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by AAPC. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article reviews the 2021 transition in new patient office and outpatient E/M coding and explains why the change matters for coders, billers, and clinical documentation teams. It focuses on the CPT changes affecting evaluation and management reporting, the shift in selection criteria, and the general impact on documentation and code assignment for office/outpatient services.

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps coding professionals prepare for a major CPT update that changes how new patient office and outpatient E/M services are reported. It is relevant to anyone who needs to understand the scope of the 2021 revisions and how they affect documentation review and code selection workflow.

Article Sections

  1. Why You’ll Say Goodbye to 99201

    This section introduces the rationale for the deletion of a new patient office/outpatient E/M code and places it in the broader context of the 2021 coding update.

  2. Changes to 99202-99205

    This section outlines the structure of the updated new patient office/outpatient E/M code set and discusses the general elements that will be used for code selection beginning in 2021.

What You Will Learn

  • The overall purpose of the 2021 new patient office and outpatient E/M changes
  • How the article frames the transition away from the prior code structure
  • What kinds of documentation and selection factors are emphasized in the updated approach
  • How the article positions prolonged service reporting in relation to the new framework
  • How the update may affect workflow for coding and documentation review

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Coding auditors
  • Practice managers
  • Physician documentation staff
  • Revenue cycle professionals

Codes Discussed

Code Ranges Discussed


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