tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2002 Issue 8

News Brief: An End to E/M Documentation Guidelines?

Recently, the AMA announced on its Web site that on May 16, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson's Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform voted 20-1 to recommend eliminating documentation guidelines for E/M services. According to the announcement, "The AMA has repeatedly informed the Department and the Regulatory Relief Advisory Committee that physicians identify E/M documentation guidelines as the single, largest paperwork burden imposed by the Medicare program." The Advisory Committee's recommendation will proceed to Secretary Thompson for a final decision. For now, physicians and coders should observe the current E/M documentation standards. Look to future editions...

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