CodingIntel

Medical coding resources for physicians and their staff. CodingIntel was founded by consultant and coding expert Betsy Nicoletti.

As time goes by

One of the complexities for medical practices is using time in CPT® coding. CPT® has long had a unit of time rule that a unit of time is met when the midpoint has passed. That is, you’ve reached an hour after 31 minutes. There are many CPT® codes that follow this mid-point time rule including critical care, psychotherapy, and physical and occupational therapy services that are time based. Evaluation and management services do not follow the rule. The time in the description of E/M codes must be met in full when using time to select a level for those services. Other services also require that the total time in the CPT® description is met. Download our reference sheet and watch the video to learn which codes do and don’t follow the CPT® time rule.

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- Betsy Nicoletti
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CPT®️️ is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Copyright American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

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.