Monitor Mondays

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) proposed evaluation and management (E&M) code changes in the recently posted 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule continue to generate controversy. The controversy centers around the proposal by CMS to reimburse new patient visits at a single flat rate for codes 99202-99205 (99201 would be paid at a lower rate), while a corresponding, lower flat rate would apply to established patient visit codes 99212-99215. Code 99211 would also be paid a lower rate. The level 1 codes don’t get the flat rate, because they don’t require the presence of a physician. Reporting this developing story during this edition of Monitor Mondays will be Shannon DeConda, founder and president of the National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists (NAMAS) as well as president of coding and billing services and a partner at DoctorsManagement, LLC. The broadcast rundown also will include: Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 Physician Advi