What is a 57 modifier used for?

Asked by: Emie Runolfsdottir  |  Last update: December 3, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (54 votes)

CPT modifier 57 may be used to report the decision for surgery for certain codes. This modifier may be used to indicate that an evaluation and management (E/M) service performed on the same day or the day before a major surgery (090 global days) by the surgeon resulted in the decision to perform the procedure.

What is the 59 modifier used for?

Modifier 59 Distinct Procedural Service indicates that a procedure is separate and distinct from another procedure on the same date of service. Typically, this modifier is applied to a procedure code that is not ordinarily paid separately from the first procedure but should be paid per the specifics of the situation.

What is a 58 modifier used for?

Modifier 58 is defined as a staged or related procedure performed during the postoperative period of the first procedure by the same physician. A new postoperative period begins when the staged procedure is billed.

Does Medicaid accept modifier 57?

If an E&M service is performed on the same date of service as a major surgical procedure to decide whether to perform this surgical procedure, the E&M service is separately reportable with modifier 57.

What is a 52 modifier used for?

Modifier -52 is used to indicate partial reduction or discontinuation of radiology procedures and other services that do not require anesthesia. The modifier provides a means for reporting reduced services without disturbing the identification of the basic service.

WHAT IS MODIFIER 57 IN MEDICAL CODING?

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What is a 55 modifier used for?

Postoperative management only. Use this modifier to indicate that payment for the postoperative, post-discharge care is split between two or more physicians where the physicians agree on the transfer of postoperative care.

What is the 50 modifier used for?

Use modifier 50 to report bilateral procedures performed during the same operative session by the same physician in either separate operative areas (e.g., hands, feet, legs, arms, ears) or in the same operative area (e.g., nose, eyes, breasts).

When should a 57 modifier be used?

Modifier 57 should be appended to any E/M service on the day of or the day before said procedure when the E/M service results in the decision to go to surgery. This informs the payer that the physician determined the surgery was medically necessary. Modifier 57 should only be appended to E/M codes.

What is an example of a 57 modifier?

For example, a surgeon sees a patient and determines (and appropriately documents) that patient needs an emergency appendectomy. Because the E/M led to the decision for surgery, both the E/M (with modifier 57 appended) and the surgery may be reported, with separate payment for each.

What is modifier 53 used for?

Appropriate use modifier 53:

Bill modifier 53 with the CPT code for the service furnished. This modifier is used to report a service or procedure when the service or procedure is discontinued after anesthesia is administered to the patient.

What is modifier 56 used for?

Modifier 56 is used for preoperative management only when a qualified health care professional performed the preoperative care and evaluation and another performed the surgical procedure.

What is modifier 62?

Definitions. Modifier 62. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) - modifier 62 describes when two surgeons of the same or different specialties work together as primary surgeons performing distinct part(s) of a surgical procedure. Co-Surgeon Indicators.

What is modifier 60 used for?

The CPT manual introduced modifier -60 in 2001 to allow providers to indicate when a procedure was more complex than normal due to an altered surgical field.

What is modifier 51 used for?

CPT guidelines explain the 51 modifier should apply when “multiple procedures, other than E/M services, are performed at the same session by the same individual. The additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s).”

What is modifier 80?

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Modifier 80 - CPT Modifier 80 represents assistant at surgery by another physician. This assistant at surgery is providing full assistance to the primary surgeon.

What is modifier 58 for?

Defining Modifier 58

To start, modifier 58 is a surgical-specific modifier, used to indicate a staged or related procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period.

What is an example of a 59 modifier?

For example, you may report modifier 59 if you perform 1 service during the initial 15 minutes of therapy and you perform the other service during the second 15 minutes of therapy.

Can you bill both a 25 and 57 modifier?

Both Major and Minor Surgeries on the Same Day When a decision for surgery includes both major and minor surgeries and is made the day of surgery, the E&M billed for the decision must have both modifier –57 and modifier –25 appended.

Does Medicare recognize modifier 57?

Revision Date (Medicare): 1/1/2022

If an E&M service is performed on the same date of service as a major surgical procedure for the purpose of deciding whether to perform this surgical procedure, the E&M service is separately reportable with modifier 57.

What are the major surgeries?

Major surgery – such as surgery to the organs of the head, chest and abdomen. Examples of major surgery include organ transplant, removal of a brain tumour, removal of a damaged kidney or open-heart surgery.

What is modifier 50?

The modifier 50 is defined as a bilateral procedure performed on both sides of the body.

What is modifier 57?

Modifier 57 is used to indicate an Evaluation and Management (E/M) service resulted in the initial decision to perform surgery either the day before a major surgery (90 day global) or the day of a major surgery.

What is the best modifier?

The best universal modifier is Godly or Demonic. The two modifiers only differ in knockback, a stat that is not considered very useful (or even beneficial) in many situations. The difference in knockback is also negligible enough that Godly and Demonic can be treated as the same modifier.

What is the 55 modifier for?

POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT ONLY: WHEN ONE PHYSICIAN PERFORMS THE POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND ANOTHER PHYSICIAN HAS PERFORMED THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE, THE POSTOPERATIVE COMPONENT MAY BE IDENTIFIED BY ADDING THE MODIFIER -55 TO THE USUAL PROCEDURE NUMBER OR BY USE OF THE SEPARATE FIVE DIGIT MODIFIER CODE 09955.