Coding for groin ultrasound for possible inguinal hernias

Q.

If we perform bilateral groin ultrasounds for possible bilateral inguinal hernias, should I charge/code the patient for two studies, and do I have to use modifiers if I do so?  Which CPT code and which modifiers would I use?

A.

When performing an ultrasound to check for inguinal hernias, that would be billed as a limited extremity, CPT code 76882. Depending on payor preference it could instead be 76882–50, 76882–RT and 76882–LT, or 76882 x 2. At the time of writing, for Medicare you would need to code as 76882 x 2 because Medicare does not allow either modifier 50 or modifiers RT and LT with CPT code 76882.