Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

-52: Reduced Services: Under certain circumstances, a service or procedure is partially reduced or eliminated at the physicians discretion. Under these circumstances, the service provided can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of the modifier -52, signifying that the service is reduced. This provides a means of reporting reduced services without distributing the identification of the basic service. Modifier code 09952 may be used as an alternative to modifier -52. Note: For hospital outpatient reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances, or those that threaten the well-being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers -73 and -74.

-53: Discontinued Procedure: Under certain circumstances, the physician may elect to terminate a surgical or diagnostic procedure. Due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patient, it may be necessary to indicate that a surgical or diagnostic procedure was started but discontinued. This circumstance may be reported by adding the modifier -53 to the code reported by the physician for the discontinued procedure or by use of the separate five digit modifier code 09953. Note: This modifier is not used to report the elective cancellation of a procedure prior to the patients anesthesia induction and/or surgical preparation in the operating suite. For outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (ASC) reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers -73 and -74 (see modifiers approved for ASC hospital outpatient use).