ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: For a trauma arrest in which the emergency physician placed a left subclavian and a right femerol line, which modifier would you suggest?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Modifier -59 is used to indicate that a procedure was distinct from other services performed on the same day. The first two scenarios are different session or patient encounter and different procedure or surgery. The third qualifying statement for -59 is "different site or organ system."

A subclavian line and a femoral line are definitely different sites, so you would qualify to use modifier -59.