Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: For a patient who undergoes 6 min walks under pulmonary stress testing, should we bill globally under 94620 or separate the technical component and the interpretations? We performed these services in a private office.California SubscriberAnswer: When a procedure or service involves a technical component as well as the professional component, these come under the definition of a global service. More specifically, diagnostic testing, such as pulmonary stress testing, involves a technical component (modifier TC) to account for the administration of the test, data recording, and/or data transmissions. It also involves a professional component (modifier 26) that represents the physician review and test interpretation. Reporting a global code or a component code depends upon the service location. If the physician practices in a private office setting (i.e., place of service 11), report the global code since the physician owns or directly leases the equipment. If the physician practices in a [...]