Anesthesia Coding Alert
Use Modifier -22 for Altered Surgical Fields
CPT says it should not be used for scarring or previous surgery.
Georgia Subscriber
Answer: The reference in CPT does not apply, because modifier -60, introduced in CPT 2001, was not recognized by payers and has been removed from CPT 2002. Therefore, the restrictions on modifier -22 no longer apply. It should be used (with appropriate documentation) to indicate that a significant amount of additional work was required to perform the procedure even if this is due to scarring, previous surgery, or any of the other conditions listed.
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