The 2023 CPT code set will update the rest of the E/M code section after significant changes in 2021, as well as revise AI and virtual care codes. The American Medical Association (AMA) has released the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set for 2023, which contains updates that aim to reduce medical coding burden for evaluation and management (E/M) visits. Providers use the CPT code set to document patient visits, including all services provided, and the codes are used to track utilization, measure quality of care, and create medical claims for payer reimbursement. Recently, the documentation and coding requirements for E/M visits were updated by CMS to streamline the process and address administrative burdens. Specifically, in the  2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule , CMS revised the code descriptors and documentation standards for E/M office visit CPT codes 99201 through 99215 as adopted by the AMA CPT Editorial Panel. Starting in 2021, the agency allowed provi

  Provider charges for out-of-network care increased by $1,157 after the passage of state surprise billing laws that allow arbitrators to consider provider charges in a surprise billing dispute. State surprise billing laws that allow arbitrators to consider provider charges when determining out-of-network payment amounts for surprise medical bills led to an increase in billed charges for out-of-network care, according to a  Health Affairs  study . Prior to the  federal No Surprises Act , many states passed laws protecting patients from surprise billing. They also established a process to determine the out-of-network rate when  surprise billing occurred . Under state surprise billing laws, payment rates are usually determined by a payment standard or an  independent dispute resolution (IDR) process . Some state laws allow arbitrators to use IDR processes that consider provider charges. The No Surprises Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2022, prohibits arbitrators from considerin