99201: The 2021 CPT® code set will not include new patient level 1 code 99201. As you’ll see below, the revised code descriptors for the remaining office and outpatient E/M codes use MDM or time to dictate code selection. Code 99201 requires straightforward MDM, the same as 99202, and having two codes requiring the same level of MDM would be redundant.
99202-99205: In 2021, new patient codes 99202-99205 will no longer require the 3 key components or reference typical face-to-face time. Instead, each service includes “a medically appropriate history and/or examination,” and code selection will be based on the MDM level or total time spent on that date.
Compare the 2020 descriptor for 99203 posted earlier in this article to the 2021 code descriptor below:
99203 | Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of a new patient, which requires a medically appropriate history and/or examination and low level of medical decision making. When using time for code selection, 30-44 minutes of total time is spent on the date of the encounter. |
The descriptors for 2021 codes 99202-99205 all follow the same structure as the 99203 example above. Table 1 shows the requirements for the new patient E/M codes in 2021.
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