What modifier is 50?

Asked by: Earnestine Treutel  |  Last update: May 29, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (37 votes)

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) modifier 50 represents a service or procedure performed on both sides of the body during the same session. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Bilateral Procedure Indicators (BI) are found in the CMS National Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value (NPFSRVF) File.

What is the modifier 51 and 50?

Facility claims should not be billed with Modifier 51. A bilateral surgery that uses a unilateral code should be reported in a single line with Modifier 50 for professional and facility provider claims. Reimbursement is 150% of the fee schedule or contracted/negotiated rate of the procedure.

Does Medicare want 50 modifier RT and LT?

Medicare usually wants Modifier 50 and billed on 1 line, the quantity is one but you double the price. If you bill it on separate lines and do not double the price they usually pay wrong. Their manual states you can do either way, modifier 50 on one line or RT/LT.

What is the difference between modifier 25 and 50?

The Modifier 25 is appended to the E/M visit to indicate that there was a separately identifiable E/M on the same day of the procedure. Modifier 50 should be used to report bilateral surgical procedures as a single unit of service.

Can I bill modifier 50 and 59 together?

As long as the coding submitted supports separate payment, there should be no issues. If only one procedure was performed bilaterally, modifier -59 should not be used on the charge with modifier -50.

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What is modifier 59 used for?

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.

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).

Why is modifier 25 necessary?

The use of modifier 25 “indicates that documentation is available in the patient's record to support the reported E/M service as significant and separately identifiable,” the council report (PDF) adds.

What is modifier 24 used for?

Use CPT modifier 24 for unrelated evaluation and management service during a postoperative (global) period. The global period of a major surgery is the day prior to, day of and 90 days after the surgery.

When to use modifier 95?

-95: Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video communications system.

How much does modifier 50 affect reimbursement?

Modifier 50 affects payment

For Medicare and many commercial payors, proper application of modifier 50 increases reimbursement to 150 percent of the allowable fee schedule payment for the code to which the modifier is appended.

How do you know which modifier goes first?

In the case of more than one modifier, you code the “functional” modifier first, and the “informational” modifier second. The distinction between the two is simple: you always want to list the modifiers that most directly affect the reimbursement process first.

What is 57 modifier?

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 modifier 55?

Modifier 55

Postoperative Management Only. When a physician or other qualified health care professional performs the postoperative management and another physician performed the surgical procedure, the postoperative component may be identified by appending this modifier to the surgical procedure.

What is a 26 modifier?

• Modifier 26 is appended when a physician provides the professional component only of the global fee. and when the physician prepares a written interpretation and report. • Modifier 26 should only be appended to codes which are listed in the CMS NPFSRVF as modifier 26. appropriate.

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 59?

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 23 modifier used for?

Modifier 23 (Unusual Anesthesia) This modifier describes a procedure usually not requiring anesthesia (either none or local), but due to unusual circumstances, is performed under general anesthesia.

What is modifier 58?

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 modifier 27?

Modifier 27 is for hospital/outpatient facilities to use when multiple outpatient hospital E/M encounters occur for the same member on the same date of service.

What is modifier 22 used for?

Modifier -22: Increased Procedural Services. This modifier is used to identify a service that requires significantly greater effort, such as increased intensity, time, technical difficulty of procedure, severity of patient's condition, physical and mental effort required, than is usually needed for that procedure.

What is modifier 32?

32 - Mandated Services: Services related to mandated consultation and/or related services (eg, third party payer, governmental, legislative or regulatory requirement) may be identified by adding modifier 32 to the basic procedure.

What is a 25 modifier used for?

Modifier 25 is appended to indicate that a significant, separately identifiable E/M service was performed by the same physician or other QHP on the same date.

What is a 24 modifier?

Modifier 24 is defined as an unrelated evaluation and management service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during a post-operative period.

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.