Radiology Coding Alert

Question: Can I report 77073 for both extremities with modifiers LT and RT, or should I report the code only once for the entire study? Is there an authoritative source that addresses this?

Illinois Subscriber

Answer: Code 77073 (Bone length studies [orthoroentgenogram, scanogram]) is inherently bilateral, meaning that you should report the code only once even when you scan, for example, two legs.

This code has a bilateral indicator of "0" on the Medicare Physician fee schedule, which means the payment adjustment for a bilateral indicator doesn't apply.

Translation: You shouldn't add bilateral modifiers, such as 50 (Bilateral procedure) or RT (Right side) and LT (Left side).

Reporting 77073 is accurate coding, and payers won't pay you any more if you add bilateral modifiers than if you report 77073 without them.

Watch for: When a bilateral modifier is appropriate, you should check payer preferences. Medicare typically prefers LT and RT for non-surgical procedures, whereas other payers may prefer 50.