The following modifiers are used by physicians to indicate a billed service is not part of a global surgical package and is eligible for separate reimbursement:
24 – Unrelated Evaluation and Management Service by the Same Physician During a Postoperative Period: The physician may need to indicate that an evaluation and management service was performed during a postoperative period for a reason(s) unrelated to the original procedure. This circumstance may be reported by adding the modifier 24 to the appropriate level of E/M service.
An excision of a malignant lesion on the left arm is performed in the office on January 10, 2007. The ICD-9-CM diagnosis code reported is 171.2. The postoperative period designated for excision code 11606 is 10 days.
The patient returns to the office on January 15, 2007 and is treated for contact dermatitis, ICD-9-CM code 692.0. The physician should report the appropriate evaluation and management code followed by the 24 modifier, e.g., 9921224.
In order for the evaluation and management service to be payable in the postoperative period with the 24 modifier, the diagnosis code supporting the E/M service must be different from the diagnosis code reported for the previously performed surgery.
Modifier 24 should not be used for the medical management of a patient by the surgeon following surgery. Medicare recognizes modifier 24 only for the care following a discharge under these circumstances:
- The care is for immunotherapy management furnished by the transplant surgeon;
- The care is for critical care (99291, 99292) for a burn or trauma patient under diagnosis codes 800.0-929.9, 940.0-959.9; or
- The documentation demonstrates that the visit occurred during a subsequent hospitalization and the diagnosis supports the fact that it is unrelated to the original surgery.
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