When selecting an evaluation and management code, what is the first thing that the coder needs to determine?
Explanation
Answer: B - When selecting an evaluation and management code, the first thing that the coder needs to determine is the appropriate category of E&M service. This means that the coder needs to determine where the service was provided (i.e., hospital inpatient, office/outpatient, hospital observation, etc.). Whether the patient was new or established would only be a question in certain categories. In addition, the time spent with the patient is only a determining factor in certain categories.
