Reader Question:
2 Babies Mean 1 Code
Published on Fri Apr 30, 2004
Question: How should I report a transvaginal ultrasound for a patient pregnant with twins?
Washington Subscriber Answer: You may be tempted to report 76817 (Ultrasound, pregnant uterus, real time with image documentation, transvaginal) twice and append modifier -59 (Distinct procedural service), but try to resist. This is incorrect.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you should report 76817 only once when the patient is pregnant with twins. A transvaginal ultrasound does not allow for good visualization of each twin, ACOG states. Therefore, the ob-gyn should use it only to identify the presence of twins, which is not significant extra work. -- The answers for Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were provided by Melanie Witt, RN, CPC, MA, an ob-gyn coding expert based in Fredericksburg, Va.; and Harry L. Stuber, MD, an independent gynecologist based in Cookeville, Tenn.
