Cracking the Code

Modifier 57, decision for surgery, is used to indicate an Evaluation and Management (E/M) service that results in the initial decision

Congenital anomalies (birth defects) are abnormalities present at birth. Examples of congenital anomalies are spina bifida and cleft palates and lips.

Modifier 52, Reduced Services, and Modifier 53, Discontinued Services are similar but very distinct circumstances.

Documentation in the operative report of a puncture made into the abdomen and the end of the bowel that was brought out indicates the creation of a stoma

Symptoms of Zika virus are often mild if symptoms appear at all. Some common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis.

These are the number and complexity of problems addressed, the amount and/or complexity of data to be reviewed and analyzed, and the risk of complications

Codes 44204 and 44205 report laparoscopic partial colectomies with anastomosis and removal of the terminal ileum with ileocolostomy.

Category II codes, or Performance Measure codes, as used voluntarily by physicians. They are recognized by four numerical digits followed by the letter F

Category III codes can be found in our CPT codebooks. These use four numerical digits followed by the letter T, such as 1234T.

Glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye’s optic nerve. It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye.