New Payment Proposal Prioritizes Patient Care by Reducing Burdensome Documentation Requirements

Ted L. Anderson, MD, PhD, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), issued the following statement in response to the release of the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule:

“ACOG applauds the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for proposing policy changes that will streamline documentation requirements and reduce administrative burden for ob-gyns. These proposals were developed in collaboration with the physician community, and largely reflect the priorities of the American Medical Association (AMA) workgroup, which was co-chaired by Barbara S. Levy, MD, past ACOG Vice President of Health Policy. ACOG commends CMS for listening to physicians and subsequently revising its previously finalized changes to evaluation and management (E/M) services. While ACOG continues to review the Physician Fee Schedule in its entirety, we expect that it will have broad implications for billing and coding beyond those insured through Medicare and Medicaid, as private payers typically adopt CMS policy.

“Specifically, the proposed changes to documentation and coding for office visit E/M services reflect the importance and increasing complexity of E/M services provided by ob-gyns and other physicians. Developed with the AMA workgroup and recommended by the medical community, this proposal will reduce regulatory burden associated with clinical documentation and allow physicians to focus on patient care. To ensure that our members can take full advantage of simplified coding and documentation requirements when they are implemented in 2021, ACOG is developing educational resources for ob-gyn office visits.

“CMS has demonstrated its dedication to partnering with physicians to revise and improve onerous policies. ACOG looks forward to continuing our work together so all ob-gyns, including subspecialists, benefit from these proposed changes.”