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Do you charge for (code) blood transfusions that are administered during hemodialysis (HD)? Is assigning modifier 59 to 36430 appropriate because it isn't a "distinct procedure" since it was given during HD. Thoughts?
Blood transfusion is part of hemodialysis and it should be considered as an inclusive service.
"Hemodialysis is a procedure that involves drawing blood via an intra–arterial or intravenous catheter, then sieving it through a semi permeable membrane to remove the impurities and finally transfusing the blood back into body. Along with performing hemodialysis, the same provider may also carry out an E/M service related to the dialysis on the same day, which is also included in this code."