Modifier 79 reminder (professional)

A recent review of our claim trends has identified that many providers are not billing appropriately for modifier 79.  According to Appendix A in the CPT Professional Edition, modifier 79 is used to indicate that a procedure or service is an “…unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period”.  If the current procedure or service does not fall within the postoperative period of a previously performed 0, (same day), 10 or 90 day postoperative period, by the same provider or a provider in the same group practice, please carefully consider the definition of modifier 79 when adding the modifier to a procedure or service.