Ask Dr. Z

Which modifier would be appropriate for this situation? On some of our adult congenital heart patients, we frequently will have an adult cardiologist and a peds cardiologist in the cath lab performing separate portions of the procedures. Both employees of the same hospital, just one is adult cardiologist and one is pediatric cardiologist. Are these considered two separate specialties? Also, which modifier would I use on each of their portions of the procedures (-62, -80, -82, etc.), and which physician would receive the modifier? Example: Adult cardiologist performs the congenital heart cath, and the pediatric cardiologist performs the angio, etc. Also, how should this be documented? Should the adult cardiologist do his/her documentation and the pediatric cardiologist do a separate note for his/her portion of the procedure?