tci Outpatient Facility Coding Alert - 2012 Issue 3

Reader Question: No-Go for Reporting Electively Canceled Procedure

Question: I know we shouldn’t report modifier 73 for elective cancellation of a procedure. How do we handle the situation? Maine Subscriber Answer: If a procedure is cancelled because the patient elected not to go forward, it does not qualify for modifier 73 (Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center [ASC] procedure prior to the administration of anesthesia). You cannot report the surgery, as noted in the full descriptor for modifier 73: "The elective cancellation of a service prior to the administration of anesthesia and/or surgical preparation of the patient should not be reported." Option: Check the patient’s...

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