Mind your modifiers: Extra time or effort justify modifier 22

Why This Topic Matters

Understanding how increased procedural services are documented can help providers and coding staff better evaluate whether a claim may warrant additional review and what information payers expect to see.

Article Sections

1. Understanding increased services

   Introduces the article’s discussion of increased procedural work and the general factors that may be considered when evaluating whether a service involved more effort than usual.

2. Document the extra effort

   Covers the documentation focus of the article, including the kinds of records and narrative detail that are discussed in relation to payer review.

3. Documentation essential

   Summarizes the article’s emphasis on completeness and clarity in documenting extended time, effort, and related circumstances.

4. Coder's alert

   Addresses the need to verify operative note support and coordinate documentation updates when additional explanation is needed.