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Reader Question: Be Wary of Modifier -59 With Aspiration and Biopsy

Don't Match -59 With Bone Marrow Procedures

Question: The physician performed a bone marrow aspiration and prepared and interpreted a slide to decide whether to take the aspiration from another site. Then he returned to the original site and performed a biopsy later that day. Should I report this biopsy in addition to the aspiration with modifier -59?

Oklahoma Subscriber

Answer: No, you shouldn't report the second procedure with modifier -59 (Distinct procedural service). The aspiration and biopsy technically occur during individual encounters, but the physician performed the aspiration in order to perform the biopsy. For this reason, the procedures are bundled and you cannot report them separately.