Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: If a neurosurgeon uses fluoroscopic guidance in spine surgery (diskectomy and fusion with profile instrumentation), is 76000 used with modifier -26 for the first hour and then 76001 used with the same modifier for additional hours?

Arizona Subscriber

Answer: Code 76001 (fluoroscopy, physician time more than one hour, assisting a non-radiologic physician [e.g., nephrostolithotomy, ERCP, bronchoscopy, transbronchial biopsy]) is NOT an add-on code for additional time spent. If the total time spent is less than one hour, use 76000 (fluoroscopy [separate procedure], up to one hour physician time, other than 71023 or 71034 [e.g., cardiac fluoroscopy]), and if the total time spent is greater than one hour use 76001. The -26 modifier (professional component) should be used if the surgeon did not perform the fluoroscopy and is only interpreting the procedure's results.