Time-Based E/M Code Selector (2021)
Map total provider time on the date of an office or outpatient encounter to the corresponding 2021 AMA CPT time-based E/M code (99202-99205 for new patients, 99212-99215 for established patients).
Open the tool → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Encounter type
- New patient (99202-99205)
- Total time in minutes
- 45
Result: Code 99204 (45 min, new patient; AMA 2021 bands).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What you enter
- Encounter type: new or established patient
- Total time in minutes
What this is
Sophie Well returns the bracket the time falls into; the AMA-owned CPT descriptor text is not bundled per licensing.
When to use it
Use this after a visit when you intend to bill by time (counseling-dominant, complex coordination of care, prolonged documentation, or any encounter where the time bracket lands higher than the MDM-based code would). The 2021 revision counts all qualifying time spent on the date of service - chart review, documentation, ordering, counseling - not just face-to-face. Document the total minutes and the activities; the code is a function of those minutes and Sophie just bins them.
How this is calculated
AMA CPT 2021 office/outpatient E/M time bands. Code descriptors are AMA-owned and not bundled.
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.
More in Triage and acuity.