2008 E/M codes for phone calls and Virtual Office Visits

[Guest guest]

Exerpt from a forwarded email from one of the local Rochester, NY

HMO's for those interested in Virtual Office Visits:

Payment In Store for E/M Codes

Four brand-new codes next year will allow you to capture E/M services

your providers render via phone and email. Existing phone call codes

99371-99373 will be deleted. (And, presumably, so will Category III

online medical evaluation code 0074T.)

It's important to notice that the new codes include carefully-worded

descriptor language meant to carve out phone calls and Internet

exchanges from pre- and post-visit E/M work. Perhaps separate work

will equate to separate reimbursement in the eyes of some payers.

These are the new codes:

99441 Telephone evaluation and management service provided by a

physician to an established patient, parent, or guardian not

originating from a related E/M service provided within the previous 7

days nor leading to an E/M service or procedure within the next 24

hours or soonest available appointment; 5-10 minutes of medical

discussion

99442 …; 11-20 minutes of medical discussion

99443 …; 21-30 minutes of medical discussion

99444 Online evaluation and management service provided by a

physician to an established patient, guardian, or health care

provider not originating from a related E/M service provided within

the previous 7 days, using the Internet or similar electronic

communications network