Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Should I use a modifier for 92981? We are getting denials as incidental to the primary procedure. Code 92981 is an add-on. I reported it twice in addition to the primary procedure.
Virginia Subscriber
 Answer: If you used +92981 (Transcatheter placement of an intracoronary stent[s], percutaneous, with or without other therapeutic intervention, any method; each additional vessel [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) twice and received a denial, you have only one option.
 Because the National Correct Coding Initiative bundles each of the coronary intervention codes into each other, you need to use the appropriate anatomic modifiers. This means you should append vessel modifiers (LC, Left circumflex or LCX; RC, Right coronary or RCA; or LD, Left anterior descending or LAD) after the procedure code to demonstrate to the carrier where the cardiologist performed the intervention.
 For example, reporting 92980-RC (Transcatheter placement of an intracoronary stent[s], percutaneous, with or without other therapeutic intervention, any method; single vessel) and 92981-LC clearly shows carriers that your cardiologist performed these procedures in different vessels.
 Remember: The cardiologist must be in separate vessels for you to code these procedures separately. If all three were done in the same vessel, you should use only one code, 92980.