Wiki Unsuccessful TEE

[bportcardio]

I have one physician that does TEE at the hospital. He has done a few in the last few weeks that have been unsuccessful due to the patient could not successfull swallow the probe. Is there a modifier or a way to code and still bill this as unsuccessful?

 

[amneske]

I was taught that you can not bill for an unsecessful TEE. Usually it is followed up with a TEE with general anesthesia, then you can bill for that. Otherwise, they do not pay for it if it was not completed

 

[AB87]

Maybe Modifier -52??