From Time to Complexity: Adopting MDM Billing in Palliative Care

As palliative care continues to deliver increasingly complex, high-value clinical work, accurate billing practices are essential to ensuring sustainability and program growth. This presentation will provide a practical overview of billing by Medical Decision-Making (MDM) in palliative care and explain why it is often a better reflection of the work we do than time-based billing alone. Participants will explore the benefits of transitioning to MDM billing, including improved alignment between clinical complexity, documentation, and reimbursement.

The session will also outline how adopting MDM billing can support program development, staffing models, and long-term service expansion. Attendees will be guided through actionable steps to begin billing by MDM, including documentation tips, example language, and templates designed specifically for palliative care encounters. Finally, the presentation will highlight key pearls and common pitfalls encountered by UnityPoint Health’s palliative care team during their transition to MDM billing, offering strategies to avoid errors and increase confidence among clinicians and teams. This session is designed for clinicians and program leaders seeking a clear, practical approach to implementing MDM billing in palliative care practice.