tci Part B Insider - 2011 Issue 22

Reader Question: Avoid Modifier 57 When Surgery Was Planned in Advance

Question: Our physician planned to perform a radical hysterectomy (58210) on one of our patients. The patient's preoperative labs turned up showing that she had diabetes. Her blood sugar was so severely elevated that my physician admitted the patient to the hospital to get her sugar under control before he would do the surgery. The patient was admitted on May 11 for the diabetes, and the surgery took place on May 14. Can we charge the hospital admit and subsequent visits that occurred prior to the surgery date? If so, should I use modifier 59 or 79? And can...

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