| 26 | Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical… | - Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a… |
| 90 | Modifier ‑90 (Reference/Outside Laboratory) indicates that a laboratory test was performed by an entity other than the treating or reporting provider. The American Medical Association defines… | - Use CPT modifier -90 when a laboratory test is performed by an outside/reference laboratory (an entity other than the treating or reporting physician or qualified professional) and the claim needs… |
| 52 | Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier… | - Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of… |
| 53 | Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s… | - Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues… |
| 59 | Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)… | - Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a… |
| 78 | CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a… | - Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the… |
| 80 | CPT® Modifier 80 (Assistant Surgeon) is appended to a surgical CPT code when a physician (MD or DO) provides full, continuous assistance throughout the operative procedure. It is intended only for… | - Use CPT Modifier -80 when a physician (MD or DO) serves as an assistant surgeon and provides full, continuous assistance throughout the entire operative procedure; append -80 to the surgical CPT… |
| 82 | Modifier 82 is appended to a surgical CPT code to indicate that an attending physician acted as an assistant because a qualified resident surgeon was unavailable. In teaching hospitals it documents… | - When to use: Append modifier 82 in teaching-hospital settings to indicate a physician served as an assistant surgeon because a qualified resident surgeon was unavailable (includes situations where… |
| 22 | Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the… | - When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required… |
| 23 | Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia… | - Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of… |