{"id":15763,"date":"2022-09-07T17:09:07","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T17:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/?p=15763"},"modified":"2025-05-13T15:11:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T15:11:03","slug":"selecting-em-based-on-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/selecting-em-based-on-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Selecting E&M Based on Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prior to 2021, the time associated with CPT codes 99202-99215 was based specifically on the typical face-to-face time the physician\/qualified health care professional (QHP) spent on the day of the encounter. After 2021, providers may select the level of office and outpatient evaluation and management (E&M) services based on either time or medical decision-making. In this article, we provided guidance on selecting E&M based on time and discussed activities where time may be counted; and may not be counted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The time-related rule requiring that 50 percent or more of the visit be spent on counseling and\/or coordination of care to report the service based on time is no longer applicable. The new definition is based on \u2018total\u2019 time (face-to-face and non-face-to-face) spent by a physician\/qualified health care professional (QHP) on the day of the encounter. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Total\u2019 time includes both face-to-face and non-face-to-face activities performed by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. It does not, however, include time in activities that are normally performed by clinical staff. This is a significant departure from E&M guidelines which only allowed for face-to-face time to be counted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Times-Based CPT Codes<\/span><\/h2>\n

The intervals of total time corresponding to CPT codes 99202-99215 are defined as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n