Question:
I'm confused about the distinction between modifiers 25 and 57. Could you please explain the difference?Ohio Subscriber
Answer:
You might use either modifier 25 (
Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other service) or modifier 57 (
Decision for surgery) when your surgeon performs a procedure and a distinct E/M service for the same patient on the same day. The quickest distinction is that you would use 25 for a distinct E/M with a minor procedure, and 57 for a distinct E/M with a major follow-up procedure. Read on for a more nuanced description of how you should use the two modifiers.
Do this for 25:
Your modifier 25 claims should meet all of the following criteria:
- The E/M occurs on the same day as the surgical procedure
- The procedure following the E/M is minor (has a zero- or 10-day global period)
- The E/M service is both significant and separately identifiable from any inherent E/M component that the procedure involves
- The same physician (or one with the same tax ID, same specialty) provides the E/M service and the subsequent procedure.
Note that the diagnosis associated with the E/M service can be the same as the diagnosis associated with the same day procedure, which means that the E/M prompted the follow-up procedure. Or, the diagnosis associated with the E/M service can be different than the diagnosis associated with the sameday procedure, meaning that the E/M was for a significant problem unrelated to the procedure.
Follow 57 guidelines:
Use modifier 57 if the claim meets all of the following criteria:
- The E/M occurs on the same day of or the day before the surgical procedure. Note: Technically, this is an informative modifier and should be used whenever the decision is made. As a rule of thumb, to be safe many experts instruct providers to use 57 if surgery is planned in the next 7 days.
- The E/M service directly prompted the surgeon's decision to perform surgery
- The surgical procedure following the E/M has a 90- day global period
- The same surgeon (or another surgeon of the same specialty with the same tax ID) provided the E/M service and the surgical procedure.
Because modifier 57 claims involve an E/M service that results in a decision for surgery, you would expect to see the same diagnosis code for both the E/M and the surgical procedure. The surgeon would not make a decision for surgery based on a significant problem unrelated to the procedure.