Question

According to the Radiology Guidelines, when a procedure or service that is designated as a "separate procedure" is carried out independently or considered to be unrelated or distinct from other procedures/services provided at that time, the procedure or service should be reported with which modifier?

A) Modifier -25
B) Modifier -51
C) Modifier -59
D) Modifier -76

Answer 1

When a 'separate procedure' in Radiology is independent or distinct from others done at the same time, it should be reported with Modifier -59 as per the Radiology Guidelines. Modifier -59 highlights the procedure's distinctiveness for accurate billing.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the Radiology Guidelines, when a procedure or service that is designated as a "separate procedure" is carried out independently, or is considered to be unrelated or distinct from other procedures or services provided at that time, the procedure or service should be reported with Modifier -59. This modifier is used to indicate that a procedure or service is distinct because it was performed during a separate patient encounter or was performed on a separate organ or structure. It helps differentiate services that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. This distinction is important for accurate medical billing and compliance with coding policies.