The American College of Surgeons Division of Advocacy and Health Policy, in collaboration with the College's General Surgery Coding and Reimbursement Committee, has released two in a series of webinars describing proper implementation of office and other outpatient evaluation and management codes, which were extensively updated for 2021.

Major Changes for 2021 Office E/M Coding, Part 1: A Surgeon's Guide to Prepare for New Guidelines and Avoid Claims Denials outlines revisions made to the office/outpatient E/M code set by the Current Procedural Terminology Editorial Panel, including new requirements related to history and physician examination, physician time, and medical decision-making (MDM) associated with E/M visits.

Major Changes for 2021 Office E/M Coding, Part 2: Implementation Tips describes proper office/outpatient E/M code level selection and documentation using MDM for common general surgery patient scenarios. 

To access the free webinar recordings and download the slides used during each presentation, visit the ACS Office/Outpatient E/M Coding Changes Resource Center. Contact Lauren Foe, Senior Associate for Regulatory Affairs, at lfoe@facs.org with questions.