tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2009 Issue 11

You Be the Coder: Modifier 51 vs. Modifier 59

Question: I am coding four different debridement sites on the foot but they are all at different areas. I am planning to use 11043 times three and 11040 once. I intend to add modifier 51 to all the codes except the first 11043. Is this correct coding, or is modifier 59 more appropriate? Tennessee Subscriber Answer: You are correct about the procedures codes you'll report: 11043 (Debridement; skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle) and 11040 (Debridement; skin, partial thickness). However, you should not be using modifier 51 (Multiple procedures). Instead, you should be using modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service). Here...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci General Surgery Coding Alert.

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