How has the evaluation and management (E/M) services section of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 2002 changed?
For 2002, CPT has added several new codes covering patient transport, critical care, care plan oversight and preventive medicine. Here are the major changes that will affect internists: Patient transport CPT added two new codes to describe a physician’s physical attendance and direct care of a critically ill or injured patient during interfacility transport: • 99289—Physician constant attention to critically ill or injured patient during an interfacility transport, first 30-74 minutes. • 99290—Each additional 30 minutes (list separately in addition to code for primary service); use 99290 in conjunction with 99289. Face-to-face care begins when the physician assumes primary responsibility for the patient at the referring hospital/facility and ends when the receiving hospital/facility accepts responsibility for the patient’s care. The physician can report only the direct, face-to-face time spent with the patient during the transport. The physician can report other services performed duri
