2021 E/M Counseling and/or Coordination of care

[KoBee]

If a providers wants to use time for leveling his office visit because he was counseling patient majority of his visit. Does that counseling still have to meet the threshold of counseling and/or coordination of care of more than 50%? guideline still apply?

reason I ask its because its states " other E/M services that you code based on time, you will still need to meet the threshold of counseling and/or coordination of care taking up more than 50% of the visit. " but it doesn't mention it for the office or other outpatient services.

Can anyone help please

 

[AmandaBriggs]

The new guidelines for time only apply to the 99202-99215 code series. All other E/M codes will have to meet the threshold of counseling/coordination of care being 50% or more of the time spent with the patient.

For the 99202-99215 code series, the total time spent by the provider on the date of the encounter attributable to the patient counts. Time spent by clinical staff is not included. The following activities, when performed, are included in the total time:

• Preparing to see the patient (review of tests, outside records)
• Obtaining and/or reviewing a separately obtained history
• Performing a medically necessary appropriate examination and/or evaluation
• Counseling and educating the patient/family/caregiver
• Ordering medications, tests, or procedures
• Referring and communicating with other health care professionals (when not reported separately)
• Documenting clinical information in the electronic or other health record
• Independently interpreting results (not reported separately) and communicating results to the patient/family/caregiver
• Care coordination (not reported separately)
• https://www.abeo.com/wp-content/upl...2021+EM+Webinar_2020-08-05_1&utm_medium=email