What is the order of reporting modifiers?

Asked by: Shanny Hills  |  Last update: November 4, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (10 votes)

The proper sequencing order for modifiers is as follows: 1) pricing, 2) payment, and 3) location. Location modifier is always reported last in any coding scenario.

In what order should modifiers go?

The general order of sequencing modifiers is (1) pricing (2) payment (3) location. Location modifiers, in all coding situations, are coded “last”.

What is the order of modifiers in billing?

The payment modifier should be placed first and then any informational modifiers follow. A payment modifier example is -58, -79. These modifiers tell the payer why a surgery should be paid a certain way.

Which modifier goes first, 25 or 95?

When billing a telemedicine service (using modifier 95) and another service that requires modifier 25 to be used in addition, the general rule is to report the “payment” modifier before any other descriptive modifier.

Which modifier goes first 78 or 59?

If you have two pricing modifiers, the most common scenario is likely to involve 26 and another modifier. Always add 26 before any other modifier. If you have two payment modifiers, a common one is 51 and 59, enter 59 in the first position. If 51 and 78, enter 78 in the first position.

How to properly append modifiers 25 and 26

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Which modifier goes first, 54 or 79?

In addition, based on the surgery or postoperative care the doctor performs, an additional modifier 54 or modifier 55 must be reported along with modifier 79-LT (Example: 66982-79-55-LT). Modifier 79 is listed first because it is a pricing modifier.

Does modifier 59 go on primary or secondary?

It should only be used if no other modifier more appropriately describes the relationship of the two or more procedure codes.” This is different from the way CPT defines modifier 59. In other words, a physician can use modifier 59 to bill the secondary, additional, or lesser procedure in an NCCI edit combination.

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.

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 the 57 modifier used for?

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.

How do you arrange modifiers?

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that provides description.
  1. Always place modifiers as close as possible to the words they modify. ...
  2. A modifier at the beginning of the sentence must modify the subject of the sentence. ...
  3. Your modifier must modify a word or phrase that is included in your sentence.

Does modifier order matter?

The order of modifiers that wrap their target view, on the other hand, often matters quite a lot, and a different modifier order can end up yielding a very different result.

How is modifier placed correctly?

Typically, modifiers are placed right beside the noun they're modifying. Usually, this means right before or after the noun: My calico cat is always by my side.

What are modifier rules?

Modifier Basics

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies—that is, gives information about—another word in the same sentence. For example, in the following sentence, the word "burger" is modified by the word "vegetarian": Example: I'm going to the Saturn Café for a vegetarian burger.

Which type of modifier should be listed first if applicable?

Pricing Modifiers

A pricing modifier is a medical coding modifier that causes a pricing change for the code reported. The Multi-Carrier System (MCS) that Medicare uses for claims processing requires pricing modifiers to be in the first modifier position, before any informational modifiers.

Does modifier gw go first?

The GW modifier must be placed after the appropriate Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code on the claim form. It is important to ensure the correct sequencing, with the HCPCS code first, followed by the GW modifier.

Does 51 or 59 modifier go first?

There is no real need to use both - EVER. Doing so is unnecessary. The -59 modifier tells you that this is a distinct procedure from the first procedure (for example two distinct lesions). The -51 modifier would tell you that you performed a second (or third or fourth...)

What is the order of modifiers in CPT?

The proper sequencing order for modifiers is as follows: 1) pricing, 2) payment, and 3) location. Location modifier is always reported last in any coding scenario. Modifiers 26 and TC are examples of pricing modifiers while modifiers 51 and 59 are examples of payment. RT and LT are examples of location modifiers.

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.

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 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 58 used for?

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 the modifier 59 rule?

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.

When to use modifier 54?

The use of modifier 54 indicates the surgeon has transferred postoperative care (partial or total) to another provider, and the surgical code with modifier 55 appended will be billed by the receiving provider to whom the postoperative care was transferred.