Evaluation and Management FAQs

Time-Based Services

  1. Please define rules for using time to level-set a service.

    Answer: In both the office and observation/inpatient setting, the provider’s time is calculated based on pre-visit, intra-visit, and post-visit activities relative to the patient’s care. This time does not need to reflect counseling and/or coordination of care. This rule also applies to split/shared inpatient services.

  2. Can clinical staff time be counted in calculating time?

    Answer: Time spent separately by clinical staff is not included in calculating time.

  3. When more than one clinician (e.g., physician and QHP) see the patient jointly, how is time calculated?

    Answer: When more than one clinician are performing the visit time jointly, time spent is only counted once.

  4. What face-to-face provider activities may be counted in calculating time?

    Answer: Time spent on the same date of service in obtaining and/or reviewing prior history, performing a medically necessary examination, formulating a medical decision and place of care, time spent in counseling and educating the patient/family/caregiver may all be counted toward total face-to-face time.

  5. What non-face-to-face provider activities may be counted in calculating time?

    Answer: Time spent on the same date of service in preparing to see the patient (e.g., reviewing data and records), ordering medications, tests and/or procedures, referring and/or communicating with other health care professionals, documenting clinical information in the medical record, independently interpreting test results (those not reported separately) and communicating that information to the patient/family/caregiver and care coordination may all be counted in calculating time.

  6. Does time need to be spent contiguously or may time on a particular date of service be counted cumulatively?

    Answer: Time on a particular date of service, spent on any of the face-to-face or non face-to-face activities defined here, may be counted cumulatively in coding a service.

Reviewed 10/8/2024