tci Part B Insider - 2003 Issue 7

MODIFIERS: Know Global Period Rules to Avoid a World of Trouble

If you're trying to bill for new services during the global period after a major procedure, it's important to spell out why those services deserve a separate payment. During the most recent physician open-door forum, one caller complained that when a hip replacement patient came in with a new shoulder injury, the carrier denied this claim because it was still in the hip replacement's global period. The physician's office billed using modifier -24 (Unrelated E/M service by the same physician during a postoperative period) to indicate a new problem, but still met with denials. This is clearly an error...

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