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), 92082 (... intermediate examination [e.g., at least 2 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 3 isopters plotted and static determination within the central 30 degrees, or quantitative, automated threshold perimetry, Octopus programs 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 ophthalmologist should report his work by appending modifier 26 (Professional component) to the code. Advice for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Maggie M. Mac, CMM, CPC, CMSCS, consulting manager for Pershing, Yoakley & Associates, Clearwater, Fla; and Raequell Duran, president of Practice Solutions, Santa Barbara, Calif.