Advanced Search

Urology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Say Hello and Goodbye to Indicator '9'

Published on Mon Mar 28, 2005

Question: What does the "9" in the modifier column of the NCCI edits mean? I thought it meant the second procedure was always allowed. Now I'm hearing that 9 means it's never allowed. If that's so, why is it not a "0"?

Idaho Subscriber Answer: The official explanation from Medicare is that "a 9 means that the use of modifiers is not specified." This indicator also marks all of the bundled pairs for which the deletion date is the same as the effective date - bundles that were, essentially, never effective. NCCI created this indicator so that there would be no blank spaces in the indicator field. Generally, bundles marked with "9" are bundles you don't have to worry about, since they were never effective NCCI bundles.
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

Urology Coding Alert

View All