Wiki Fluoroscopic x-rays

[gina_marie]

I work for a neurosurgeon. He owns his own C-arm and sometimes does x-rays on patients by using it to check on placement of devices and hardware. I am new to the field and was told when I started to bill x-ray codes. A new nurse started working and said we are supposed to bill 76001. She also said for Medicare you HAVE to put a 26/TC modifier on it. I have NEVER heard of that before - using those together.

An example of a study my doctor would do is
"C-arm fluoroscopic AP and Latera Views X-rays of thoracic and lumbar spine to evaluate the Spinal Cord Pain epidural stimulator leads and battery."

The nurse told my doc to bill
99215
76001 - 26/TC (she said the modifiers are for Medicare ONLY).

Can anyone offer any assistance or insight to this code and how to bill it when your doctor reads/intrepets it and owns the c-arm?

Thank you,
Gina, CPC

 

[albeard99]

Gina,
You're probably billing correctly. Since your doc owns the equipment he can bill for both the technical and professional parts of the service. The way I understand it, using both modifiers to indicate he provided both components of the service would be redundant!

As for TC/26 modifiers being for Medicare only, although not all carriers recognize or require them, they are not Medicare only modifiers.

I bill for professional fees only and use modifier 26 for all my carriers, commercial and government, all the time.

Angela