The Medicare National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) includes Procedure-to-Procedure (PTP) edits that define when HCPCS)/ Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes should not be reported together either in all situations or in most situations.
For PTP edits that have a Correct Coding Modifier Indicator (CCMI) of “0,” the codes should never be reported together by the same provider for the same beneficiary on the same date of service. If they are reported on the same date of service, the column one code is eligible for payment and the column two code is denied.
For PTP edits that have a CCMI of “1,” the codes may be reported together only in defined circumstances which are identified on the claim by the use of specific NCCI-associated modifiers. One function of NCCI PTP edits is to prevent payment for codes that report overlapping services except in those instances where the services are “separate and distinct.” Modifier 59 is an important NCCI-associated modifier that is often used incorrectly.
Modifier 59
- Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-E/M services performed on the same day. Modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than E/M services, that are not normally reported together but are appropriate under the circumstances.
- Documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual.
- When another already established modifier is appropriate, it should be used rather than modifier 59. Only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used.
Proper Use of Modifier 59
Modifier 59 and other NCCI-associated modifiers should not be used to bypass a PTP edit unless the proper criteria for use of the modifier are met. Documentation in the medical record must satisfy the criteria required by any NCCI-associated modifier that is used:
Modifier 59 is used appropriately for different anatomic sites during the same encounter only when procedures which are not ordinarily performed or encountered on the same day are performed on different organs, or different anatomic regions, or in limited situations on different, non-contiguous lesions in different anatomic regions of the same organ.
One of the common uses of modifier 59 is for surgical procedures, non-surgical therapeutic procedures, or diagnostic procedures that are performed at different anatomic sites, are not ordinarily performed or encountered on the same day, and that cannot be described by one of the more specific anatomic NCCI-associated modifiers –that is, RT, LT, E1-E4, FA, F1-F9, TA, T1-T9, LC, LD, RC, LM, or RI.
From an NCCI perspective, the definition of different anatomic sites includes different organs or, in certain instances, different lesions in the same organ. However, NCCI edits are typically created to prevent the inappropriate billing of lesions and sites that should not be considered to be separate and distinct.
Modifier 59 should only be used to identify clearly independent services that represent significant departures from the usual situations described by the NCCI edit. The treatment of contiguous structures in the same organ or anatomic region does not constitute treatment of different anatomic sites. For example:
- Treatment of the nail, nail bed and adjacent soft tissue distal to and including the skin overlying the distal interphalangeal joint on the same toe or finger constitutes treatment of a single anatomic site.
- Treatment of posterior segment structures in the eye constitutes the treatment of a single anatomic site.
- Arthroscopic treatment of structures in adjoining areas of the same shoulder constitutes the treatment of a single anatomic site.
Modifier 59 is used appropriately when the procedures are performed in different encounters on the same day.
Another common use of modifier 59 is for surgical procedures, non-surgical therapeutic procedures, or diagnostic procedures that are performed during different patient encounters on the same day and that cannot be described by one of the more specific NCCI-associated modifiers – i.e., 24, 25, 27, 57, 58, 78, 79, or 91. As noted in the CPT definition, modifier 59 should only be used if no other modifier more appropriately describes the relationship of the two procedure codes.
Modifier 59 is used inappropriately if the basis for its use is that the narrative description of the two codes is different.
One of the common misuses of modifier 59 is related to the portion of the definition of modifier 59 allowing its use to describe a “different procedure or surgery.” The code descriptors of the two codes of a code pair edit usually represent different procedures, even though they may be overlapping.
The edit indicates that the two procedures should not be reported together if performed at the same anatomic site and the same patient encounter as those procedures would not be considered to be “separate and distinct.” The provider should not use modifier 59 for such an edit based on the two codes being “different procedures.”
However, if the two procedures are performed at separate anatomic sites or at separate patient encounters on the same date of service, modifier 59 may be appended to indicate that they are different procedures on that date of service.
Additionally, there may be limited circumstances sometimes identified in the National Correct Coding Initiative Policy Manual for Medicare Services when the two codes of an edit pair may be reported together with modifier 59 when performed at the same patient encounter or at the same anatomic site.
Modifier 59 is used appropriately for two services described by timed codes provided during the same encounter only when they are performed sequentially.
There is an appropriate use for modifier 59 that is applicable only to codes for which the unit of service is a measure of time (e.g., per 15 minutes, per hour). If two timed services are provided in time periods that are separate and distinct and not interspersed with each other (i.e., one service is completed before the subsequent service begins), modifier 59 may be used to identify the services.
Modifier 59 is used appropriately for a diagnostic procedure which precedes a therapeutic procedure only when the diagnostic procedure is the basis for performing the therapeutic procedure.
When a diagnostic procedure precedes a surgical procedure or non-surgical therapeutic procedure and is the basis on which the decision to perform the surgical procedure is made, that diagnostic test may be considered to be a separate and distinct procedure as long as:
- It occurs before the therapeutic procedure and is not interspersed with services that are required for the therapeutic intervention;
- It clearly provides the information needed to decide whether to proceed with the therapeutic procedure; and
- It does not constitute a service that would have otherwise been required during the therapeutic intervention. If the diagnostic procedure is an inherent component of the surgical procedure, it should not be reported separately.
Modifier 59 is used appropriately for a diagnostic procedure which occurs subsequent to a completed therapeutic procedure only when the diagnostic procedure is not a common, expected or necessary follow-up to the therapeutic procedure.
When a diagnostic procedure follows the surgical procedure or non-surgical therapeutic procedure, that diagnostic procedure may be considered to be a separate and distinct procedure as long as
- It occurs after the completion of the therapeutic procedure and is not interspersed with or otherwise commingled with services that are only required for the therapeutic intervention, and
- It does not constitute a service that would have otherwise been required during the therapeutic intervention. If the post-procedure diagnostic procedure is an inherent component or otherwise included (or not separately payable) post-procedure service of the surgical procedure or non-surgical therapeutic procedure, it should not be reported separately.
The use of Modifier 59 does not require a different diagnosis for each HCPCS/CPT coded procedure. Conversely, different diagnoses are not adequate criteria for the use of modifier 59. The HCPCS/CPT codes remain bundled unless the procedures are performed at different anatomic sites or separate patient encounters or meet one of the other three scenarios described above.
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FAQs:
1. What is Modifier 59 used for?
Modifier 59 indicates that a procedure or service was distinct and independent from other services performed on the same day, allowing for appropriate billing under specific circumstances.
2. When should Modifier 59 be applied?
It should be used only when procedures are performed at different anatomic sites, during different patient encounters, or in limited situations where they meet specific NCCI criteria.
3. What does a Correct Coding Modifier Indicator (CCMI) of “0” mean?
A CCMI of “0” indicates that the codes should never be reported together for the same patient on the same date of service; the column one code is eligible for payment, while the column two code is denied.
4. Can Modifier 59 be used to bypass NCCI edits?
No, Modifier 59 should not be used to bypass a PTP edit unless the proper criteria are met, and appropriate documentation is provided to support its use.
5. How can Medical Billers and Coders (MBC) assist with these coding challenges?
MBC specializes in medical billing and coding, ensuring compliance with the latest guidelines, minimizing claim denials, and facilitating timely payments for healthcare providers.
