tci Part B Insider - 2011 Issue 17

Reader Questions: Modifier 52 May Not Always Suit You

Question: My ob-gyn saw a patient with ovarian cancer. He performed a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), omentectomy, left pelvic lymph node dissection, and limited para-aortic lymph node dissection. Because he removed all the pelvic lymph nodes on the left side but none on the right, should I use modifier 52?Answer: No. You should not apply modifier 52 (Reduced services) to 58951 (Resection [initial] of ovarian, tubal or primary peritoneal malignancy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and omentectomy; with total abdominal hysterectomy, pelvic and limited para-aortic lymphadenectomy). Notice that 58951's descriptor does not specify bilateral. Therefore, you should...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci Part B Insider.


Keep pace with evolving Medicare regulations with timely analysis of critical updates interpreted in an easy-to-follow, easy-to-apply format. Your subscription to TCI’s Part B Insider will equip you to navigate code and guideline changes, CCI edits, and revisions to modifiers, the fee schedule, OIG target areas, and more.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 4800 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 2003 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles

This feature is currently unavailable for online purchase. For more information, please call 801-770-4203 or Contact Us.

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.