Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Question: We performed a visual field ordered by a doctor outside our practice. The patient is not being seen by any doctor in the practice, and the visual field is being sent back to the ordering doctor for interpretation. How should I code for that?

West Virginia Subscriber

Answer: Report only the technical component of the visual field test, 92081 (Visual field examination, unilateral or bilateral, with interpretation and report; limited examination [e.g., tangent screen, Autoplot, arc perimeter, or single stimulus level automated test, such as Octopus 3 or 7 equivalent]), 92082 (... intermediate examination [e.g., at least two isopters on Goldmann perimeter, or semiquantitative, automated suprathreshold screening program, Humphrey suprathreshold automatic diagnostic test, Octopus program 33]) or 92083 (...extended examination [e.g., Goldmann visual fields with at least three isopters plotted and static determination within the central 30 degrees, or quantitative, automated threshold perimetry, Octopus program G-1, 32, or 42, Humphrey visual field analyzer full threshold programs 30-2, 24-2, or 30/60-2]).

Append modifier TC (Technical component) to the code to report your work. The ordering doctor should report his work by appending modifier 26 (Professional component) to the code.