Append modifier 51 to subsequent procedures, e.g., the second, third, fourth procedure, if the same provider performs multiple procedures for the same patient during the same encounter.
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Hint: Mind your modifiers to ensure accurate coding and compliance. Gastroenterologists and other physicians often perform endoscopies because of the procedures’ versatility. They serve not only as a tool for disease screening, but also for the diagnosis and treatment of [...]
There are different codes for different spinal areas. Patients who report to the neurosurgeon for discography can pose a coding challenge if you aren’t ready. Sometimes, the discography is the only service the surgeon provides; other times, the service is [...]
Question: How will the new ICD-10-CM codes for childhood obesity, which became effective October 1, 2024, improve diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents? What are some of those codes? North Carolina Subscriber Answer: Obesity is a complex, chronic condition [...]
Can you report 94610 with critical care codes? Find out. Babies who are born prematurely can experience several health issues, including respiratory problems. One treatment method involves pulmonologists administering medication through an endotracheal tube to treat the air sacs within [...]
Question: I’m new to medical coding and still don’t fully understand the role of modifiers; do they change the code descriptors? RCI Subscriber Answer: No. A modifier doesn’t change the code descriptor at all, but it does alter the intention of [...]
Do you know how to accurately use the F10.- to F19.- code range? The 10th edition of the ICD-10-CM code set includes the code range F01.- (Vascular dementia) to F99 (Mental disorder, not otherwise specified) for mental and behavioral health [...]
Question: One of our physicians is not putting diagnoses on their on-treatment visit (OTV) note. They are just noting the treatment site and would like coders to figure out the diagnosis — if it is metastatic versus primary versus benign [...]
Provider will likely use E/M, imaging to diagnose condition. Patients suffering from hydrocephalus are a common occurrence in a neurosurgeon’s office. And for every one of those hydrocephalic patients, a provider had to diagnose the condition. More often than not, [...]
Question: We have a coder who frequently applies the 51 modifier to nearly all procedure claims. However, our Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) has informed us that this modifier will be automatically added when necessary. Is it true that it will be [...]
Question: As a lab coder, we use the diagnosis assigned by the ordering physician when submitting claims. We perform lots of Pap tests and I’ve noticed that we sometimes get Z codes as the ordering diagnosis. Is that acceptable for [...]
