Date Issued: 9/10/2014
Repair of an asymptomatic or incidentally identified hiatal hernia (CPT codes 43280, 43281, 43282, 43289, 43499 or 43659) will be denied when billed with bariatric surgery (CPT codes 43770-43775 or 43842-43848). Modifier 59 will not override the denial, because hiatal hernia repair is considered an integral part of bariatric surgery.