Ask Dr. Z

Modifier -74 is used for outpatient procedures that have been discontinued after anesthesia. If the provider performs the FFR as they intended (without inducing stress with medication), would this be considered discontinued? There is a recent Coding Clinic for HCPCS published that recommends using an unlisted code for the facility side in these scenarios. I'm interested in your thoughts here. Part of the coding clinic has been quoted below.

Coding Clinic for HCPCS (Fourth Quarter 2021, page 11, effective date December 9, 2021):

"Assign CPT code, 93799, Unlisted cardiovascular service or procedure, for the intravascular Doppler flow reserve measurement (iFR) performed without the use of the pharmacologic stress agent...…. Modifier -52 is not appropriate for facility reporting when anesthesia is administered, and modifier -74 is not appropriate when a procedure is not discontinued. Therefore, the use of these modifiers with CPT code 93571 is not appropriate for facility reporting when the procedure is carried out as intended."