Modifier 47

Modifier 47 — Anesthesia by Surgeon. Appended to a CPT/HCPCS code to give the payer more information about the service.

When to use it

Use modifier 47 when the service meets the definition above and it is supported by the medical record. The modifier documents a circumstance; it does not change the underlying code.

Common mistakes

• Appending the modifier without documentation to support it.
• Using it to bypass an edit rather than to describe a genuinely distinct service.
• Applying it to the wrong code in a pair.

More free billing tools: all modifiers · NCCI checker · denial codes · Medicare fees

General CPT/HCPCS modifier reference. A modifier must be clinically appropriate, documented, and consistent with payer policy — never appended solely to obtain payment. Verify current CPT/HCPCS guidance and your payer's rules.