tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2004 Issue 5

Here's How to Avoid the Modifier -62/Modifier -80 Mix-Up

When trying to decide between modifiers -62 and -80, the most important question to ask yourself is "Did the surgeon serve as a primary surgeon for at least a portion of the shared procedure?" If the answer is "yes," you should turn to modifier -62.  When acting as co-surgeons, the two surgeons operate on the same patient but, in fact, work independently of one another. In other words, each surgeon performs a distinct portion of a single reportable procedure.For example: A general surgeon and gynecological surgeon work together during pelvic exenteration. The general surgeon performs...

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.