New Medicare Evaluation and Management (E&M) coding guidelines take effect January 1, 2021.
The changes are designed to be more intuitive and eliminate unnecessary documentation tasks. Although there are many changes, experts in the field feel that the transition will be smooth if preparations are made in advance and some clearly identified pitfalls are avoided.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), “if it is not documented, it has not been done.” Appropriate E&M coding is essential for accurate documentation of the treatment patients have received and required for correct payment for services rendered. To ensure the accuracy of medical records starting January 1, it is imperative to be educated on the coding updates.
Change is hard, especially after a time span of over 25 years, which is the last time changes were made to E&M codes. After such a long time utilizing the same standards, it will be an adjustment.
If You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know, It Is Hard to Prepare.
JTS Health Partners is here to help ease the transition by offering coaching on where the impacts will be, assisting in creating a plan, and providing advice to be prepared before January 1, 2021. JTS utilizes a “peer-to-peer” approach which allows for proficiency and mastery of the changes that enable the “trainers” to be on-sight experts. The JTS team provides education through hands-on experience that may be conducted face-to-face or virtually.
The new year will be here before we know it, so contact JTS at 470-443-3507, info@jtshealthpartners.com, or by visiting our contact page for more information on how to best prepare for the 2021 E&M coding changes.