Wiki modifier 58

[pochranek]

While on call my physician saw a patient who came into the hospital for a reduction of a hip dislocation. The patient had a THR on the SAME HIP 2 weeks earlier by ANOTHER PHYSICIAN. The patient doe not want to go back to the original surgeon but would like to continue with my doc.

My question is: Is modifier 58 the most appropriate code to use for the reduction of the dislocation or is there a more appropriate modifier?

Thanks for your help!

Peggy

 

[twizzle]

While on call my physician saw a patient who came into the hospital for a reduction of a hip dislocation. The patient had a THR on the SAME HIP 2 weeks earlier by ANOTHER PHYSICIAN. The patient doe not want to go back to the original surgeon but would like to continue with my doc.

My question is: Is modifier 58 the most appropriate code to use for the reduction of the dislocation or is there a more appropriate modifier?

Thanks for your help!

Peggy

Are the two physicians in the same group and in the same specialty? In any case, to use modifier 58 it really has to be documented by the doc who did the THR that the intention was to do another procedure(in the global period) after the original one, which is obviously not true here.
Need more information before giving you the appropriate modifier though.

 

[pochranek]

The two physicians are NOT in the same practice but I believe they are both of the same specialty - Orthopedics

 

[twizzle]

No modifier needed then. Your doc can bill for the reduction without any modifier as he has no connection whatsoever with the initial procedure. I'm not sure about the global for the procedure but whether it's 10 or 90, a new global will start from the dos.