Projected dates for E/M implementation

So how much of a reprieve do physician practices have before HCFA jump-starts the E/M change process? The bottom-line answer is 18 months at best. The time line below should give you a good idea of the scheduled next steps for the E/M saga.

· May 1998: American Medical Association's CPT-4 Editorial Panel reviews response to proposed E&M revisions from the April 27 Chicago "fly-in" meeting.

· July 1998: CPT Advisor Editorial Panel accepts comments until end of July.

· August 1998: CPT Advisor Editorial Panel prepares a final draft of revised guidelines at its August meeting.

· Fall 1998: Pilot field testing of revised guidelines.

· Sometime between July 1999 and Jan. 1, 2000: Newly revised E/M guidelines scheduled to go into official use.