tci E/M Coding Alert - 2017 Issue 8

Modifiers: Go Beyond Just Documentation to Master Modifier 57

Hint: Always communicate with your payers. Not sure whether you are appropriately appending modifier 57 (Decision for surgery) on your claims? Follow these three tips from our pros to ensure correct reporting. Tip 1: Double-check the documentation. “Always ensure that the documentation supports the decision for surgery and is not supporting a preoperative clearance,” says Melanie Witt, RN, MA, an independent coding expert based in Guadalupita, New Mexico. “If the surgeon makes the decision and does preoperative clearance at the same encounter, make sure that none of elements for the clearance are counted toward the level...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci E/M Coding Alert.

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.