What changed in the E/M section of the CPT code book for 2009?
The revision of the Prolonged Service codes is the change to the Evaluation and Management (E/M) section that is most relevant to internists. CPT changed the codes describing a prolonged service a physician provides that involves direct, face-to-face contact with the patient. The parenthetical statement that referenced treatment of an acute asthmatic patient has been eliminated from the description of code 99354, which describes the first hour of a prolonged service to a patient in the outpatient setting. The description of code 99356, which describes the first hour of a prolonged service to a patient in the inpatient setting, was revised to specify that face-to-face time for an inpatient is defined as the time the physician devotes to the patient’s care on the inpatient floor or unit. This change further clarifies the distinction from the outpatient definition which is actual face-to-face time with the patient. The parenthetical reference to specific clinical conditions as examples wa
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