The Impact of Billing Changes on Inpatient Palliative Care

Several years ago, the process of Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding for office visits was updated by the American Medical Association (AMA). Effective January 2023, the changes were focused on documentation and requirements for time spent seeing patients. Additional modifications included requirements for specific documentation around history, review of systems, and the physical exam.

These changes have significantly influenced inpatient palliative care billing practices. The focus has shifted towards prioritizing Medical Decision Making (MDM) over routine tasks, creating new billing avenues that compensate for the crucial services provided by palliative care and other health care professionals working with seriously ill patients.

In this webinar, Phil Santa-Emma, MD, explains fee-for-service inpatient billing adjustments and their effects on workflow, documentation, work-related relative value units (wRVUs), and revenue.