When are modifiers -26 and -TC often used together?

• A. To separately bill both professional and technical components of a service.
• B. To indicate store-and-forward telemedicine.
• C. To identify the external cause of injury.
• D. To indicate an initial encounter.

Answer: (A)

Modifiers -26 and -TC identify two distinct parts of a service: the professional component and the technical component. The professional component covers the physician’s interpretation or professional expertise, while the technical component covers the actual performance of the service using equipment and staff.

When both components are provided, they’re often billed separately to reflect who performed each part. Appending -26 to the CPT code signals the professional component, and appending -TC signals the technical component. This separation is common for imaging and similar services where the interpretation and the execution are done by different providers or locations, allowing each part to be reimbursed appropriately.

In practice, this might be handled on two lines or on a single line per payer rules, but the core idea is clear: you’re billing for the professional interpretation and the technical performance as distinct components.