Issue Spotlight: Proposed Changes to Medicare E&M Visits

Originally published in the July 18, 2018 issue of MGMA’s Washington Connection
Reprinted with permission from MGMA

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule that would affect Medicare physician reimbursement policies beginning in 2019. Among other changes, CMS proposes to:

• Collapse evaluation and management (E&M) Levels 2-5 into one level for new patients and another for established patients. The average national payment would be $135 for new patients and $93 for established patients.
• Allow clinicians to choose to document office and outpatient E&M visits using medical decision-making or time or continue using the current 1995 or 1997 E&M documentation guidelines.
• Create a minimum documentation standard so clinicians would only need to meet requirements currently associated with a level 2 visit for history, exam, or medical-decision making (except when using time to document the service).

To help MGMA evaluate the impact of these proposed changes and advocate on behalf of medical group practices, please share your feedback on these proposals by filling out this brief comment form.