LCD Reference Article Billing and Coding Article

Billing and Coding: CPT® Modifier 59: Gastroenterology

A53399

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Draft Article
Draft Articles are works in progress and not necessarily a reflection of the current billing and coding practices. Revisions to codes are carefully and thoroughly reviewed and are not intended to change the original intent of the LCD.
NOT AN LCD REFERENCE ARTICLE
This article is not in direct support of an LCD.

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General Information

Source Article ID
N/A
Article ID
A53399
Original ICD-9 Article ID
Not Applicable
Article Title
Billing and Coding: CPT® Modifier 59: Gastroenterology
Article Type
Billing and Coding
Original Effective Date
10/01/2015
Revision Effective Date
11/14/2019
Revision Ending Date
N/A
Retirement Date
N/A

CPT codes, descriptions, and other data only are copyright 2023 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/HHSARS apply.

Fee schedules, relative value units, conversion factors and/or related components are not assigned by the AMA, are not part of CPT, and the AMA is not recommending their use. The AMA does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or dispense medical services. The AMA assumes no liability for data contained or not contained herein.

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Making copies or utilizing the content of the UB‐04 Manual, including the codes and/or descriptions, for internal purposes, resale and/or to be used in any product or publication; creating any modified or derivative work of the UB‐04 Manual and/or codes and descriptions; and/or making any commercial use of UB‐04 Manual or any portion thereof, including the codes and/or descriptions, is only authorized with an express license from the American Hospital Association. The American Hospital Association (the "AHA") has not reviewed, and is not responsible for, the completeness or accuracy of any information contained in this material, nor was the AHA or any of its affiliates, involved in the preparation of this material, or the analysis of information provided in the material. The views and/or positions presented in the material do not necessarily represent the views of the AHA. CMS and its products and services are not endorsed by the AHA or any of its affiliates.

CMS National Coverage Policy

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Article Guidance

Article Text

Background

Under certain circumstances, a physician may need to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other services and CPT® modifier 59 may be appropriate depending on the circumstances. CPT® modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services that are not normally reported together and this includes the following procedures/services that are not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same physician:

    • A different

                 Session or patient encounter

                 Procedure or surgery

                 Site or organ system

 

    • A separate

                Incision/excision

                Lesion

                Injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries)


When another already established modifier is appropriate, it should be used rather than CPT® modifier 59. CPT® modifier 59 is an important National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) associated modifier that is often used incorrectly and it should only be used if no more descriptive modifier is available or when its use best explains the circumstances.

For the NCCI, the primary purpose of CPT® modifier 59 is to indicate that two or more procedures are performed at different anatomic sites or during different patient encounters. It should only be used if no other modifier more appropriately describes the relationships of the two or more procedure codes.

NCCI edits define when two procedure HCPCS/CPT® codes may not be reported together except under special circumstances.

If an edit allows use of NCCI-associated modifiers, the two procedure codes may be reported together if the two procedures are performed at:

    • Different anatomic sites
    • Different patient encounters


The Part B MAC claim processing system utilizes NCCI-associated modifiers to allow payment of both codes of an edit.

CPT® modifier 59 and other NCCI-associated modifiers should not be used to bypass an NCCI edit unless the proper criteria for use of the modifier is met. Documentation in the medical record must satisfy the criteria required by any NCCI-associated modifier used.

One of the misuses of CPT® modifier 59 is related to the portion of the definition of CPT® modifier 59 allowing its use to describe 'different procedure or surgery.' The code descriptors of the two codes of a code pair edit usually represent different procedures or surgeries. The related NCCI edit indicates that the two procedures/surgeries cannot be reported together if performed at the same anatomic site and same patient encounter. The provider cannot use CPT® modifier 59 for such an edit based on the two codes being different procedures/surgeries. However, if the two procedures/surgeries are performed at separate anatomic sites or at separate patient encounters on the same date of service, CPT® modifier 59 may be appended to indicate that they are different procedures/surgeries on that date of service.

Use of CPT® modifier 59 to indicate different procedures/surgeries does not require a different diagnosis for each HCPCS/CPT® coded procedure/surgery. Additionally, different diagnoses are not adequate criteria for use of CPT® modifier 59. The HCPCS/CPT® codes remain bundled unless the procedures/surgeries are performed at different anatomic sites or separate patient encounters.

From an NCCI perspective, the definition of different anatomic sites includes different organs or different lesions in the same organ. However, it does not include treatment of contiguous structures of the same organ. For example, treatment of the nail, nail bed and adjacent soft tissue constitutes a single anatomic site. Treatment of posterior segment structures in the eye constitutes a single anatomic site.

Examples of CPT® Modifier 59 Usage

The following are some examples developed to help guide physicians and providers on the proper use of CPT® modifier 59:

Example 1: Column 1 Code/Column 2 CPT® Code 45385/45380

    • CPT® code 45385 - Colonoscopy, flexible; with removal of tumor(s), polyp(s), or other lesion(s) by snare technique
    • CPT® code 45380 - Colonoscopy, flexible; with biopsy, single or multiple



Policy: More extensive procedure

CPT® modifier 59 is only appropriate if the two procedures are performed on separate lesions or at separate patient encounters.

Response To Comments

Number Comment Response
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Coding Information

Bill Type Codes

Code Description

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Revenue Codes

Code Description

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CPT/HCPCS Codes

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CPT/HCPCS Modifiers

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Group 1 Codes
Code Description
59 DISTINCT PROCEDURAL SERVICE: UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PHYSICIAN MAY NEED TO INDICATE THAT A PROCEDURE OR SERVICE WAS DISTINCT OR INDEPENDENT FROM OTHER SERVICES PERFORMED ON THE SAME DAY. MODIFIER -59 IS USED TO IDENTIFY PROCEDURES/SERVICES THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY REPORTED TOGETHER, BUT ARE APPROPRIATE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS MAY REPRESENT A DIFFERENT SESSION OR PATIENT ENCOUNTER, DIFFERENT PROCEDURE OR SURGERY, DIFFERNET SITE OR ORGAN SYSTEM, SEPARATE INCISION/EXCISION, SEPARATE LESION, OR SEPARATE INJURY (OR AREA OF INJURY IN EXTENSIVE INJURIES) NOT ORDINARILY ENCOUNTERED OR PERFORMED ON THE SAME DAY BY THE SAME PHYSICIAN. HOWEVER, WHAN ANOTHER ALREADY ESTABLISHED MODIFIER IS APPROPRIATE IT SHOULD BE USED RATHER THAN MODIFIER -59. ONLY IF NO MORE DESCRIPTIVE MODIFIER IS AVAILABLE, AND THE USE OF MODIFIER -59 BEST EXPLAINS THE CIRCUMSTANCES, SHOULD MODIFIER -59 BE USED. MODIFIER CODE 09959 MAY BE USED AS AN ALTERNATE TO MODIFIER -59.
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ICD-10-CM Codes that Support Medical Necessity

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ICD-10-CM Codes that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity

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ICD-10-PCS Codes

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Group 1 Codes

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Additional ICD-10 Information

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Bill Type Codes

Contractors may specify Bill Types to help providers identify those Bill Types typically used to report this service. Absence of a Bill Type does not guarantee that the article does not apply to that Bill Type. Complete absence of all Bill Types indicates that coverage is not influenced by Bill Type and the article should be assumed to apply equally to all claims.

Code Description

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Revenue Codes

Contractors may specify Revenue Codes to help providers identify those Revenue Codes typically used to report this service. In most instances Revenue Codes are purely advisory. Unless specified in the article, services reported under other Revenue Codes are equally subject to this coverage determination. Complete absence of all Revenue Codes indicates that coverage is not influenced by Revenue Code and the article should be assumed to apply equally to all Revenue Codes.

Code Description

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Other Coding Information

Group 1

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Group 1 Codes

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Coding Table Information

Excluded CPT/HCPCS Codes - Table Format
Code Descriptor Generic Name Descriptor Brand Name Exclusion Effective Date Exclusion End Date Reason for Exclusion
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Non-Excluded CPT/HCPCS Ended Codes - Table Format
Code Descriptor Generic Name Descriptor Brand Name Exclusion Effective Date Exclusion End Date Reason for Exclusion
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Revision History Information

Revision History Date Revision History Number Revision History Explanation
11/14/2019 R6

This article is being revised in order to adhere to CMS requirements per chapter 13, section 13.5.1 of the Program Integrity Manual. CPT® was inserted where appropriate throughout the article.

The effective date of this article is 11/14/2019.

02/26/2018 R5

This article is being revised in order to adhere to CMS requirements per chapter 13, section 13.5.1 of the Program Integrity Manual. CPT® was inserted where appropriate throughout the article.

02/26/2018 R4 The Jurisdiction "J" Part B Contracts for Alabama (10112), Georgia (10212) and Tennessee (10312) are now being serviced by Palmetto GBA. Effective 02/26/18, these three contract numbers are being added to this article. No coverage, coding or other substantive changes (beyond the addition of the 3 Part B contract numbers) have been completed in this revision.
10/06/2016 R3 Under Article Text-Background revised the verbiage in the sentence “Medicare carrier and MAC Part B claim processing systems utilize NCCI-associated modifiers to allow payment of both codes of an edit” to read “The Part B MAC claim processing system utilizes NCCI-associated modifiers to allow payment of both codes of an edit”. Under Article Text-Examples of CPT Modifier 59 Usage the word “diagnostic” was deleted from the descriptions of CPT code 45385 and CPT code 45380.
10/01/2015 R2 Under Article Text and CPT/HCPCS Codes descriptor changes were made to 45385, and 45380. The changes were due to CR 8975, Annual HCPCS Update for 2015.
10/01/2015 R1 Added HCPCS codes from Article Text to the HCPCS Coding section.
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Associated Documents

Medicare BPM Ch 15.50.2 SAD Determinations
Medicare BPM Ch 15.50.2
Related Local Coverage Documents
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Related National Coverage Documents
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SAD Process URL 1
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SAD Process URL 2
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Statutory Requirements URLs
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Rules and Regulations URLs
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CMS Manual Explanations URLs
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Other URLs
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Public Versions
Updated On Effective Dates Status
11/07/2019 11/14/2019 - N/A Currently in Effect You are here
Some older versions have been archived. Please visit the MCD Archive Site to retrieve them.

Keywords

  • CPT® Modifier 59
  • Gastroenterology