Which code would be considered a New Patient E/M code?

Which code would be considered a New Patient E/M code?

• A. 99202
• B. 99212
• C. 99211
• D. 99215

Answer: (A)

New patient visits are coded separately from established patient visits, with a set of codes that start at the simplest level and go up as complexity increases. The correct pick is the option that corresponds to a new patient encounter at the lowest level, because it represents the initial evaluation for someone who has not been seen by the clinician before and matches the simplest level of history, exam, and decision making expected in a new-patient visit. The other possibilities describe encounters for someone already being seen by the clinician (established patient) or a visit performed primarily by a nurse, which aren’t new-patient E/M visits. So they don’t fit the scenario described in the question.

New patient visits are coded separately from established patient visits, with a set of codes that start at the simplest level and go up as complexity increases. The correct pick is the option that corresponds to a new patient encounter at the lowest level, because it represents the initial evaluation for someone who has not been seen by the clinician before and matches the simplest level of history, exam, and decision making expected in a new-patient visit.

The other possibilities describe encounters for someone already being seen by the clinician (established patient) or a visit performed primarily by a nurse, which aren’t new-patient E/M visits. So they don’t fit the scenario described in the question.