2024 E/M Time Revisions
The goal of this blog series is to investigate further the changes to CPT in 2024. We’ll begin with E/M time revisions.
The Evaluation & Management section saw major changes for office visits in 2021 including assigned “time ranges for E/M codes 99202 – 99205 and 99212 – 99215. In 2023 the remaining E/M codes were revised to match the 2021 MDM guidelines for office visits and the time descriptors established “minimum” time requirements. For 2024 the time descriptors for office visits were revised, the time ranges were removed and minimum times were added to make E/M time descriptors consistent in all areas.
While these changes seem minimal compared to 2021 and 2023 changes it is still important to communicate the time descriptors changes to both providers and coders. Any E/M tips sheets should be need to updated to reflect these changes. Finally, EHR templates should be reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure compliance with the new time descriptors.
Nursing Facility Services E/M codes also experienced minor time descriptor revisions based on RVS Update Committee (RUC) survey results.
More discussion around CPT to come.