Wiki 78452 - TC & 26 Modifiers??

[crhunt78]

Our Cardiologists own their own MPI SPECT imaging equipment but we have a group who is billing code 78452 with a TC modifier. The office is telling us (we do our coding off site) that a tech does the test and a physician reads or interprets the test therefore, it is reasonable to bill the 78452 with a TC modifier. I do not agree with this because the doctors own their own equipment, not a hospital or some other entity. I believe it should be billed as 78452 with the appropriate interpretation code from 93015-93018 and, of course, the drug codes. I don't believe any modifiers should be attached. Am I correct or do we need to use the TC modifier to show the physician owns the equipement?

 

[jmcpolin]

You are right if you own the equipment and they are also doing the reading then you would bill 78452 with no modifier.