Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure)
CPT modifier indicating a surgical or diagnostic procedure was started but discontinued due to extenuating circumstances or those threatening the wellbeing of the patient.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Billing
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
- ask d3 →
Where this comes up
This shows up in revenue-cycle work — claim scrubbing, charge entry, posting, A/R follow-up, and month-end close. Billers and practice managers hit this term when reconciling a payment, working a denial queue, or auditing why a claim aged past 60 days.
Full definition
What it is in practice
CMS recognizes 53 when a procedure was halted after anesthesia was administered or after the procedure was started. Documentation must justify discontinuation.
How it shows up in your practice
Document the clinical rationale. Use 73 / 74 instead for ASC-discontinued procedures.
Sources
- CMS — Modifier Referencehttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/modifiers
Confirm modifier 53 use in Ask D3
Open ask d3 →Related terms
- BillingModifier 52 (Reduced Services)CPT modifier indicating a service that is partially reduced or eliminated at the physician's discretion.
- BillingModifier 73 / 74 (ASC Discontinued Procedure)HCPCS modifiers indicating an ambulatory surgery center procedure was discontinued before (73) or after (74) anesthesia administration.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryModifier 73 / 74 (ASC Discontinued Procedure)HCPCS modifiers indicating an ambulatory surgery center procedure was discontinued before (73) or after (74) anesthesia administration.
- GlossaryModifier 52 (Reduced Services)CPT modifier indicating a service that is partially reduced or eliminated at the physician's discretion.
- GlossaryAnesthesia Modifiers (QY, QK, AD, AA)HCPCS modifiers identifying the anesthesia care team's involvement in a procedure.
- GlossaryModifier 22CPT modifier indicating increased procedural services requiring substantially greater work than usually required.
- GlossaryModifier 24CPT modifier indicating an unrelated E/M service performed by the same provider during a postoperative global period.
- GlossaryModifier 26CPT modifier indicating the professional component of a procedure.
- GlossaryModifier 32 (Mandated Services)CPT modifier indicating a service performed as required by a third party such as a payer, court, or workers' compensation carrier.
- BillingAWV + Problem Visit Same Day: How to Bill CorrectlyYes, you can bill AWV and a problem visit the same day. Here's how to do it correctly with modifier -25.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.