Advanced Search

Pulmonology Coding Alert

Clip-and-Save Chart:

Use This Simple Tool to Keep the Bilateral Billing Rules at Your Fingertips

Published on Fri May 06, 2005

If you're tired of flipping though the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for advice every time you suspect your pulmonologist performs a bilateral procedure, refer to this handy reference chart to help determine which    pulmonology-specific codes you can bill with modifiers -50, -LT or -RT, and which you can't.

We've listed the top most frequently performed pulmonology codes, reviewed by Carol Pohlig, BSN, RN, CPC, senior coding and education specialist at the University of Pennsylvania department of medicine in Philadelphia
 
Note: We've broken down the codes according to whether the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule lists them with a 0,  1 or 2 indicator, with these definitions:
  0 - You cannot append modifier -50, but you can append -LT or -RT
  1 - You can append modifier -50
  2 -  The code already specifies a bilateral procedure, so you should not append modifier -50, -LT or -RT to denote a procedure's bilateral nature.
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles in this issue of

Pulmonology Coding Alert

View All