Have a FAQ? Email it to us at FAQ@emuniversity.com.

1. What does the E/M stand for?
2. What are the E/M guidelines?
3. What's the difference between the 1995 and 1997 E/M guidelines?
4. Can you mix and match elements from the 1995 and 1997 E/M guidelines within the same note?
5. What documentation is required for critical care?
6. Can I bill for critical care and other E/M services on the same day?
7. What are Medicare carriers?
8. Do different Medicare carriers have different rules when auditing E/M documentation?
9. Can I say, "All other systems reviewed and are negative" when completing the ROS?
10. Can I refer to a previous past medical, family and social history and ROS?
11. Do I always have to spend the full allotted time with the patient to bill for any given level of care?
12. How do I code for an E/M service based on time?
13. If a provider reviews notes from other doctors (e.g., from several specialists) in the course of seeing an established office patient, how would you incorporate this cognitive labor into the MDM points table?
14. If an encounter has more than one qualifying risk element, which level of risk do I choose?
15. Where did the MDM points come from?
16. Why does Trailblazer use a different point system?
17. Can you say, "unremarkable" or "within normal limits" for exam systems and get credit?
18. What exactly is required for a comprehensive exam using the 1995 E/M guidelines vs. the 1997 rules?
19. What exactly is required for a detailed exam using the 1995 E/M guidelines vs. the 1997 rules?
20. What exactly is required for an expanded problem focused exam using the 1995 E/M guidelines vs. the 1997 rules?
21. What exactly is required for a problem focused exam using the 1995 E/M guidelines vs. the 1997 rules?
22. What are the rules for completing the HPI using the 1995 E/M guidelines vs. the 1997 rules?
23. What if the patient is unable to give a history?
24. What if the patient is unable to cooperate with the exam?
25. What is a "new" patient?
26. Can I have the patient fill out a form for the ROS?
27. Can I have the patient fill out a form for the past medical, family and social history?
28. How do I bill for prolonged services?
29. If I say, "family history or ROS: non-contributory" do I still get credit?
30. What if the patient is incapacitated or unconscious and cannot give me a history?
31. Are the rules different for different states?
32. Can a hospitalist bill for a consult when he or she is consulted for "medical mangement?"
33. Can I bill for an E/M visit and a procedure on the same patient on the same day?
34. Can I bill for an E/M service if I am called back to see a patient seen earlier that day by a colleague?
35. Can PAs an NPs bill for E/M services?
36. Can I use a scribe?