CCI 16.1 Update:
Identify Swapped Pairs to Ensure Correct EMG Modifier Placement
Published on Tue Mar 23, 2010
Make sure you know when to put a modifier on +95920, starting now. Each time the Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) releases an update, new edits and deleted pairs get a lot of the attention. But if you ignore the swapped pairs in version 16.1, which took effect on April 1, you could be missing out on deserved reimbursement when your neurologist performs an electromyography (EMG) exam with intraoperative monitoring. Version 16.1 is the second Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) update of the year.CCI 16.1 includes 2,054 new active pairs and 1,947 modifier changes, says Frank D. Cohen, MPA, MBB, senior analyst with MIT Solutions, Inc. in Clearwater, Fla. "With each of the quarterly CCI updates, practices tend to primarily focus on the new CCI edits that they will have to deal with. They may not even consider that there'sa potential swap in the columns, and the need to change which code should [...]