Practice Management Alert

Question: If two surgeons work together during a procedure, should I apply modifier -62 or modifier -80?

California Subscriber
 
Answer: When deciding between modifiers -62 (Two surgeons) and -80 (Assistant surgeon), the most important question to ask yourself or the surgeon is, "Did both surgeons serve as a primary surgeon for at least a portion of the shared procedure?" If the answer is "yes," you should turn to modifier -62.
 
When acting as co-surgeons, the two surgeons operate on the same patient but, in fact, work independently of one another. In other words, each surgeon performs a distinct portion of a single reportable procedure.
 
Example: A general surgeon and gynecological surgeon work together during pelvic exenteration. The general surgeon performs the approach, removes the bladder and a portion of the colon and performs colostomy, while the gynecologist completes the remainder of the procedure.

Because each surgeon performed a distinct portion of this single identifiable procedure, each should report the appropriate procedure code with modifier -62 appended.
 
Alternative: You should use modifier -80 to describe the presence of a second physician in the operating room who acts as an extra pair of hands to assist the primary surgeon. For example, a general surgeon and a neurosurgeon may work together during spinal instrumentation placement. During the procedure, the general surgeon assists the neurosurgeon but does not perform any portion of the procedure himself. Therefore, he should report 22842-80, not 22842-62. The neurosurgeon should report 22842 with no modifier.
 
Important: Suppose two surgeons of different specialties each perform a distinct, separately identifiable procedure during the same operative session. You should consider this "sequential surgery," and each surgeon may bill independently, without appending any modifiers.