2021 E/M Coding and Auditing Guidelines, Explained

Last month I presented the webinar “Everything You Should Know About the 2021 E/M Changes.” During the presentation, we had a ton of people ask for a follow up webinar in order to cover more topics and answer even more of your questions. And now, I’m excited to present this followup, interactive webinar, “2021 E/M Changes: Everything Else You Should Know.”

If you’re reading this, I'm sure that by now you’re aware of the 2021 E/M changes that go into effect January 1, 2021. But the real question is, are you ready for these changes?

As the first major overhaul to Evaluation and Management services we’ve seen in decades, there’s no shortage of anxiety among us coders and auditors. With the “Patient over Paper Initiative,” both AMA and CMS released parallel changes that are sure to lessen the documentation burden for physicians. In theory, the changes will simultaneously make our lives easier. But in practice, will it?

Whether it’s eliminating history and the physician exam as elements for the code selection, or allowing the code selection to be made based on MDM or total time, there’s a lot to unpack and prepare for prior to January 1. Although the new office visit E/M requirements are simpler and more flexible, we’ll need to shift our coding leveling from counting words and checking boxes to focusing more on the clinical acuity of the patient and understanding disease processes to ensure the most accurate coding level is selected. So to ensure you and your organization is ready for the overhaul to the guidelines, be sure to register for our webinar where we’ll:

• Introduce You to the New Guidelines
• Discuss the New Twists in Auditing for 2021
• Audit Real Chart Notes Using the New Guidelines

After you register, you’ll receive an email to download the AMA EM 2021 guidelines and the AAPC Audit Services 2021 E/M Audit Worksheet, which you’ll need to have for the prior to the live webinar so you can participate in the live auditing portion of the presentation.