Contributory elements

Parts of documentation that confirm the selection of procedure codes for evaluation and management (E/M) services but may not be of sufficient quantity to make a change in code selection. An exception is if counseling or coordination of care requires more than half the intraservice time for the encounter, then time is used to determine the code selection when billing.

Control plan

Blue Cross and Blue Shield phrase that refers to a Blue plan that has sold a health insurance plan to a company with employees in other states and arranged for other Blue plans in the other locations to provide the same benefits. The control plan has the primary responsibility in administering the groups served by more than one Blue plan.