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General Surgery Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Bill Co-surgery Correctly With Modifier -62

Published on Wed Mar 01, 2000


Question: The operation was clipping of an ICA aneurysm in the circle of Willis by a neurosurgeon with carotid decompression in the neck by a general surgeon. Each surgeon has dictated his own operative report. Is it correct to code 61700-62 for each surgeon?

Ella Flores, Coder
Kern Faculty Medical Group, Bakersfield, Calif.

Answer: Yes. According to Medicare, co-surgery is allowed for code 61700 (surgery of intracranial aneurysm, intracranial approach; carotid circulation), so it is correct for both physicians to bill the same procedure with modifier -62 (two surgeons) attached and to write separate operative reports, says Terry Fletcher, BS, CPC, CCS-P, a general surgery coding and reimbursement specialist in Laguna Beach, Calif.

General surgeons should note that Medicares 2000 National Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value Guide indicates the co-surgery status for all CPT procedures, and this document can be downloaded from the HCFA Web site at www.hcfa.gov/stats/pufiles.htm#rvu.
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