Wiki Cpt 76000, 76001

[gina_marie]

I work for a neurosurgeon. He owns his own C-arm and sometimes does x-rays on patients by using it to check on placement of devices and hardware. I am new to the field and was told when I started to bill x-ray codes. A new nurse started working and said we are supposed to bill 76001. She also said for Medicare you HAVE to put a 26/TC modifier on it. I have NEVER heard of that before - using those together.

An example of a study my doctor would do is
"C-arm fluoroscopic AP and Latera Views X-rays of thoracic and lumbar spine to evaluate the Spinal Cord Pain epidural stimulator leads and battery."

The nurse told my doc to bill
99215
76001 - 26/TC (she said the modifiers are for Medicare ONLY).

Can anyone offer any assistance or insight to this code and how to bill it when your doctor reads/intrepets it and owns the c-arm?

Thank you,
Gina, CPC

 

[AmandaBriggs]

I can't speak to the code itself, but if the physician owns the equipment and is interpreting the report then you would bill the global code and not unbundle it into its professional and technical portions which is what the 26/TC are.

 

[Cuteyr]

No modifier means global ( 26+TC )

Just talking about the modifier, you bill neither 26 nor TC if the interpreting physician owns the machine.Bill just the CPT without any modifier.