natashalage
Expert
Hello coding community,
Could you please help me clarify when I should use modifier 50 with 38900? I see a lot of Op notes where a surgeon injects the dye into a cervix bilateral/both sides. Does it qualify for mod 50? I will place some examples of the notes below. I checked that mod 50 is allowed and per oncology file, they recommend to use mod 50 but they do not specify into what anatomical area the dye is injected. Again, all our OP notes show the injection into cervix but cervix does not have laterality. What should we do? And does mod 50 increase the reimbursment? Thank you very much for your help.
"Before placing the VCare uterine manipulator, we injected the cervix with indocyanine green. 25 mg of ICG was diluted into 20 mL of sterile water. We took a total of 4 mL, and injected the cervix at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, superficial and deep."
"Before entering the abdomen, we had placed a uterine manipulator, it was a medium VCare, in the usual fashion, and we had also placed ICG into the cervix. This was a total of 4 mL, 2 mL on each side, of a 25 mg in 20 mL solution"
"The cervical os was identified and infiltrated with indocyanine green. A total of four milliliters (1.25 mg/mL) of ICG was injected into the cervical stoma, dividing between the 3- and 9-o'clock positions"
LAY Description 38900 : Intraoperative mapping may be utilized during lymph node biopsy procedures. During the procedure, a nonradioactive dye such as methylene blue is injected into the area of focus. ......
Could you please help me clarify when I should use modifier 50 with 38900? I see a lot of Op notes where a surgeon injects the dye into a cervix bilateral/both sides. Does it qualify for mod 50? I will place some examples of the notes below. I checked that mod 50 is allowed and per oncology file, they recommend to use mod 50 but they do not specify into what anatomical area the dye is injected. Again, all our OP notes show the injection into cervix but cervix does not have laterality. What should we do? And does mod 50 increase the reimbursment? Thank you very much for your help.
"Before placing the VCare uterine manipulator, we injected the cervix with indocyanine green. 25 mg of ICG was diluted into 20 mL of sterile water. We took a total of 4 mL, and injected the cervix at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, superficial and deep."
"Before entering the abdomen, we had placed a uterine manipulator, it was a medium VCare, in the usual fashion, and we had also placed ICG into the cervix. This was a total of 4 mL, 2 mL on each side, of a 25 mg in 20 mL solution"
"The cervical os was identified and infiltrated with indocyanine green. A total of four milliliters (1.25 mg/mL) of ICG was injected into the cervical stoma, dividing between the 3- and 9-o'clock positions"
LAY Description 38900 : Intraoperative mapping may be utilized during lymph node biopsy procedures. During the procedure, a nonradioactive dye such as methylene blue is injected into the area of focus. ......
