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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Modifier Refresher:

Achieve Modifier 25 Success With These Easy Steps

Published on Fri Aug 27, 2010

Understand 'significant' and 'separate' to move in the right direction.Knowing when to report modifiers and choosing the best one for each situation can be an easy trip-up for coders. If you find yourself especially befuddled by modifier 25 (Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other service), keep reading for real-world tips that will help you code confidently every time.Temptation: Some coders view modifier 25 as a "magic bullet," says Judith L. Blaszczyk RN, CPC, ACS-PM, compliance auditor with ACE consulting in Leawood, Kan.She has heard from some coders that they "always add a 25 modifier to their E/Ms done on the same day as a procedure because that is the only way they can get them paid," Blaszczyk adds. Don't fall into that trap, she warns. "Any practice that applies modifier 25 indiscriminately to their E/Ms will [...]
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