In sum, what are the 2021 E/M changes
While there will be many changes to office/outpatient E/M visits, the most significant are deletion of code 99201 (Level 1 new patient visit), addition of a 15-minute prolonged services code that can be reported with 99205 and 99215, and the following restructuring of office visit code selection:
1. Elimination of history and physical as elements for code selection: While obtaining a pertinent history and performing a relevant physical exam are clinically necessary and contribute to both time and medical decision making, these elements will not factor in to code selection. Instead, the code level will be determined solely by medical decision making or time.
2. Choice of using medical decision making (MDM) or total time as the basis of E/M level documentation:
- MDM. While there will still be three MDM subcomponents (number/complexity of problems, data, and risk), extensive edits were made to the ways in which these elements are defined and tallied.
- Time. The definition of time is now minimum time, not typical time or “face-to-face” time. Minimum time represents total physician/qualified health care professional time on the date of service. This redefinition of time allows Medicare to better recognize the work involved in non–face-to-face services like care coordination and record review. Of note, these definitions only apply when code selection is based on time and not MDM.
3. Modification of the criteria for MDM: The current CMS Table of Risk was used as a foundation for designing the revised required elements for MDM.
- Terms. Removed ambiguous terms (e.g., “mild”) and defined previously ambiguous concepts (e.g., “acute or chronic illness with systemic symptoms”).
- Definitions. Defined important terms, such as “independent historian.”
- Data elements. Re-defined the data elements to move away from simply adding up tasks to focusing on how those tasks affect the management of the patient (e.g., independent interpretation of a test performed by another provider and/or discussion of test interpretation with another physician).
CMS also plans to add a new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) add-on code as of Jan. 1, 2021, that can be used to recognize additional resource costs that are inherent in treating complex patients.
- GPCX1 - Visit complexity inherent to evaluation and management associated with medical care services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services and/or with medical care services that are part of ongoing care related to a patient’s single, serious, or complex chronic condition. (Add-on code, list separately in addition to office/outpatient evaluation and management visit, new or established.).
GPC1X can be reported with all levels of E/M office/outpatient codes in which care of a patient’s single, serious, or complex chronic condition is the focus. CMS plans to reimburse GPC1X at 0.33 RVUs (about $12).
Who do these changes apply to?
The changes to the E/M office/outpatient CPT codes and guidelines for new and established patients apply to all traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid, and all commercial payers. E/M HCPCS codes apply to Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, and Medicaid only; commercial payers are not required to accept HCPCS codes.
