Question

Modifier -59, distinct procedure service, is used to indicate that:

a. a subsequent surgery was planned or staged

b. services that are usually bundled into one payment were provided as separate services

c. a patient is taken back to the operating room for surgical treatment of a complication resulting from a previous surgery

d. a service was repeated

Answer 1

Modifier -59, distinct procedure service, is used to indicate that services that are usually bundled into one payment were provided as separate services.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is B. Modifier -59, distinct procedure service, is used to indicate that services that are usually bundled into one payment were provided as separate services.

Modifier -59 is commonly used in medical coding to identify distinct procedural services that were performed during the same encounter. It allows the healthcare provider to receive separate payment for each individual service.

For example, if a patient undergoes a knee arthroscopy and also receives a separate injection in a different joint during the same encounter, the modifier -59 would be used to flag the injection as a distinct procedure that should be paid separately.