By Marty Kotlar, DC

Although modifiers are an important component of proper chiropractic coding, it’s easy to become confused about how to use them correctly. Not only do have to decide among dozens of different modifiers, you also have understand and apply the rules for using them. And these rules can be confusing.

To compound the confusion, just like the CPT codes themselves, modifiers are constantly changing. To keep up-to-date:

• Keep the most recent edition of the CPT book on hand.

• Attend coding workshops for information on using modifiers correctly.

• Invest in training your billing person. Remember, though, that even if you have a billing staff person who codes claims, it’s still important for you to be familiar with CPT codes and modifiers. The more familiar you are with modifiers, the more you can facilitate proper usage — and payment.

Marty Kotlar, DC, CHCC, is the president of Target Coding Inc. He is certified in healthcare compliance and has been helping chiropractors get better reimbursements from insurance companies since 1992. He can be reached at 800-270-7044, through his Web site, www.TargetCoding.com or by e-mail at drkotlar@targetcoding.com.