December 1, 2016

Question:
I’ve been billing 30465 and 30465-50 for bilateral. I’m having a hard time getting paid on the second side (30465-50). Should I use modifier 59 instead of modifier 50?

Answer:
No! CPT guidelines state to use modifier 52 (reduced services) on 30465 if only one side is corrected. Therefore, 30465 implies both sides were surgically corrected and it would be inappropriate to append modifier 50 (bilateral procedure).

*This response is based on the best information available as of 12/01/16.