Urology Coding Alert

Anesthesia, patient well-being can clue you in to the best modifier choice. When your urologist ends a procedure early, you know you need to append a modifier to the procedure code, but the challenge is deciding between modifier 52 or 53. Learn the very specific criteria for reporting each modifier to ensure successful coding every time. Turn to 52 for 'Physician Discretion' You should use modifier 52 when your urologist, while performing a service or procedure, chooses to partially reduce or eliminate a portion of the code's requirements. "Under certain circumstances a service or procedure is reduced at the physician's discretion and this decision can be made prior to or during the procedure," explains Daniel J. Rogers, practice manager for Gulf South Urology in Biloxi, Miss. You should use modifier 52 when services your urologist performs are less than those described by the code. For instance, you can use modifier [...]