Final answer:
A new patient is defined by CPT coding rules as someone who has not received professional services from a physician or qualified health care professional in the same specialty and subspecialty for at least 3 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is C. 3 years.
According to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding rules, a new patient is one who has not received professional services from the physician or a qualified health care professional in the practice of the exact same specialty and subspecialty for a minimum of 3 years.
This means that if a patient has not seen a physician or health care professional in the same specialty and subspecialty for at least 3 years, they can be considered a new patient according to CPT coding rules.