Question: Can we code a certified registered nurse anesthetist’s (CRNA) service with a locum tenens (LT) modifier? He is filling in for one of our CRNAs who is on medical leave following surgery. Rhode Island Subscriber Answer: No, you cannot report modifier Q6 (Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician; or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area) for a CRNA’s service. Here’s why: Modifier Q6 was originally designed to represent locum tenens (or substitute) services of one physician for another. You can also now report modifier Q6 for a substitute physical therapist in certain situations, but you still cannot report Q6 for a CRNA. The only exception is if the payer has a policy stating that you can submit Q6 for a CRNA’s services when that CRNA is hired to fill in for another CRNA. Keep these tips in mind when filing claims that do qualify for modifier Q6: Final note: Modifier Q6 has no effect on payment.