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CDI and Coding for Cardiac Arrhythmia | Webinar

Event date June 22nd, 2026
1 CEU expires 6-30-2027

Guest presenter Dr. Robert Oubre

This educational activity provides a focused review of cardiac arrhythmias with an emphasis on atrial fibrillation and related rhythm disorders.

CMS Split/Shared Services Rules | Reference Sheet

In 2024, CPT® expanded its definition of split/shared services, CMS updated their requirements. Neither CMS nor CPT® made changes to this policy in 2025 or 2026. Split/shared services are evaluation and management services (E/M) services performed jointly between a physician and a non-physician practitioner (NPP), also called advanced practice nurses or physician assistants. CMS pays […]

Documenting and Scoring the Data Element of MDM | Webinar

Rcorded May 21st, 2026
1 CEU expires 5/30/27

Though the 2021/2023 changes to E/M coding eliminated much of the counting and confusion from the process of selecting an E/M level, Data scoring arguably became more complicated due to these changes, which has resulted in ongoing uncertainty as to when certain aspects of Data should be credited.

Mandatory MIPS, 2 Conditions, 7 Specialties, Some Locations

The title makes it all clear, right? No? I didn’t think so. This article is an overview of  CMS’s Ambulatory Specialty Model. CMS is implementing a mandatory, disease-specific reporting model beginning in the CY 2027, reporting due March 31, 2028. Who will be required to report?  And for what conditions? Physicians who work in the […]

Telehealth Visit with a Patient at Home: Office Visit or Home Visit?

CPT® codes for patients at home in a residence: New patient: 99341, 99342, 99344, 99345 Established patient: 99347−99350 These codes are used to report services in a patient’s home or in a residence. “Home may be defined as a private residence, temporary lodging, or short -term accommodation (eg, hotel, campground, hostel, or cruise ship).” These […]

The Prime Directive of HCC coding

The Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs released a notice on Jan. 14, 2026 stating that the government had entered into a settlement with Kaiser Permanente, et al for false claims related to HCC coding. The government contended that Kaiser had overbilled CMS by a billion dollars over a nine-year period. Kaiser agreed to […]

Coding vs. Clinical Validation

Understanding Distinct Roles, Responsibilities, and Qualifications in Healthcare Documentation Two critical functions are often misunderstood or conflated: medical coding and clinical validation. While both are essential to accurate documentation, appropriate reimbursement, and regulatory compliance, they are fundamentally different disciplines that require distinct skill sets, credentials, and areas of expertise. Confusing these roles—or allowing one professional […]

Depression Coding and Hierarchical Condition Coding (HCC)

Introduction | Depression coding in HCC In fee-for-service medicine: Diagnosis coding establishes the medical necessity for a service. At times, it may be the reason for a denial, particularly for diagnostic tests or procedures.  Services with national or local coverage policies often have specific diagnosis codes that are required for payment. In V28 of HCC, […]

HCC Coding for Medical Practices | Webinar

Recorded March 19th, 2026
1 CEU expires 3/30/27

Risk adjustment coding is a hot topic for Medicare Advantage Organizations and medical practices with risk-based contracts. It’s one of the pillars of payment for Value Based Care. At this webinar, participants will learn how Hierarchical Condition Categories work based on ICD-10-CM rules.

E/M Frequency Data for Psychiatrists

CMS releases E/M frequency data annually.  A physician self-elects their specialty designation when enrolling with Medicare. This is the data for psychiatrists. The data below is from 2024 released in late 2025. Office services Psychiatry New OV  2024 99202 0.74% 99203 8.05% 99204 38.58% 99205 52.63% Established office visits  2024 99211 0.73% 99212 4.33% 99213 […]

E/M Frequency Data for Dermatology

For dermatologists, revenue in the office is generated by procedures and office visits. Often, both are provided on the same day. See the dermatology section of our specialty page for articles about the use of modifiers 25, 51, and 59. Frequency distribution for new and established patients 2024 E/M data released at the end of […]

E/M Frequency Data for Surgical Specialties

CMS releases E/M frequency data annually.  A physician self-elects their specialty designation when enrolling with Medicare. Unfortunately, there aren’t specialty designations for breast,  bariatrics, or trauma surgery, and those surgeons are usually enrolled using the category for general surgery. There are specialty designations for vascular surgery, plastic surgery, thoracic, and surgical oncology. The data below […]

Removal of a Foreign Body

Integumentary 10120  Incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues; simple 10121  Incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues; complicated Note that incision is required. Musculoskeletal From Principles of CPT® Coding, “If fascia is penetrated and a foreign body to be removed is within the fascia, subfascia or muscle, use an anatomic-specific code in […]

Remote Physiologic Monitoring Treatment Management Services

The remote physiological monitoring section describes providing equipment and data collection, initial set up and education on the use of the equipment, and treatment management based on the data that was measured.  The codes are confusing because they are sorted/divided in confusing ways. Codes 99453, 99445 and 99454 are for the initial set up and […]

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring

There are two sets of codes in the CPT® code set for Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM). The first set is for the monitoring itself, and includes codes for initial set-up and patient education and for the device supply or data transmission. The second set of codes is for treatment management services based on the data […]

Diabetes Coding in Hierarchical Condition Coding (HCC)

Diabetes is a common chronic condition, included in three distinct HCC categories Patients often have more than one chronic condition of the disease; page down for a Q&A related to how multiple conditions do–and don’t–affect the risk score CodingIntel members can download our guide to Risk Adjusted Diagnosis Coding for Medical Practices for more explanation and […]

Lesion Destruction Tip Sheet

CPT® does not make it easy to locate codes for destruction of lesion(s). These codes are found in multiple chapters throughout the CPT® book, and are classified by a variety of factors (size, method of destruction, type (pre-malignant/malignant/benign), etc.) Accurate coding is essential to accurate payment. This tip sheet was created to help you quickly locate the correct CPT® code for lesion destruction.

Remote Monitoring 99453, 99454 | Reference Sheet

CPT codes 99453 99454 are used to report remote monitoring device set up, supply and recording. This resource answers the questions: who does the work, what is being monitored, how is it done, and what does the practice do.

Our mission is to provide up-to-date, simplified, citation driven resources that empower our members to gain confidence and authority in their coding role.

In 1988, CodingIntel.com founder Betsy Nicoletti started a Medical Services Organization for a rural hospital, supporting physician practice. She has been a self-employed consultant since 1998. She estimates that in the last 20 years her audience members number over 28,400 at in person events and webinars. She has had 2,500 meetings with clinical providers and reviewed over 43,000 medical notes. She knows what questions need answers and developed this resource to answer those questions.

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