Most coding professionals have heard modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) referred to as a modifier of last resort and to be cautious in using this modifier.
Lately I've received a lot of questions from hospitals about how to determine when and if it's appropriate to report an E/M visit code on the same date of service as a scheduled procedure.
The April quarterly I/OCE update from CMS did not defy convention featuring the typically small number of updates following extensive changes in the previous quarter but CMS did continue to clarify
