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Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Modifiers:

Learn the Tricks to Untangling Differences in Modifiers 58, 78, and 79

Published on Fri Jul 23, 2010

Don't miss out on extra pay when global period resets. Just because you routinely append modifiers to your claims doesn't mean you're filing correctly and getting the most appropriate pay. Brush up on your modifier know-how with these tips for three of the trickiest choices: modifiers 58, 78, and 79. Selecting between these modifiers can be carrier-specific in some situations, says Jacqui Jones, office manager for Benjamin F. Balme, MD, PC in Klamath Falls, Ore. Remember All Possible Uses for 58 The descriptor for modifier 58 seems self-explanatory: Staged or related procedure by the same physician during the postoperative period. Coders sometimes trip, however, when they forget that modifier 58 actually applies to subsequent procedures that fall into one of three categories: • Planned or anticipated (staged): A good example might be an infected hand that has to be debrided several times over the course of a couple of weeks. You [...]
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