# Colonoscopy and EGD



## rcclary (Jan 16, 2009)

If I am billing for a 43239 and a 45378 should a 51 or 59 modifier be used?


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## coachlang3 (Jan 16, 2009)

You shouldn't need to.

They are totally seperate proc's and not related so no 59 is needed, and 51 is not needed either.


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## Brenda@wdl (Jan 16, 2009)

*Modifiers*

But doesn't the 59 indicates it's a totally separate procedure? I don't understand why you wouldn't use it.


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## coachlang3 (Jan 19, 2009)

Sorry, I used confusing words there.

The 59 is used to seperate procedure's that would normally be considered part of another one (bundled).

In this case an EGD is totally different than the colon.

Now, if your doctor had done two seperate types of a colon such as a 45380 and a 45385 then you would use the 59.


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## LisaJack (Jan 27, 2009)

You would not get paid for a 45380-colon with biopsy and a 45285-colon with polypectomy. That is bundling.


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## mad_one80 (Feb 5, 2009)

actually it is not bundling....you CAN get paid for 45380-59 and 45385....example: if a doctor finds 2 polyps and one was snared and the other was removed using cold biopsy....you can bill both...what you CANT bill and is bundling is 45380-45385 along with 45378(diagnostic) since this is part of the 45380-45385 procedures.


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## jrlee (Feb 5, 2009)

rcclary said:


> If I am billing for a 43239 and a 45378 should a 51 or 59 modifier be used?


We would bill 
45378
43239-51

51 mod is used on the procedure with the lower RVU.


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## Lisa Bledsoe (Feb 6, 2009)

There has been a lot of discussion on this topic.  Some say no modifier when doing an EGD and Colonoscopy.  Some say -59.  You would not use -51 as that indicates multiple procedures through the same "opening".  Mod -51 automatically gives you a monetary reduction where -59 is *not supposed to*.


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