ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2008 Issue 22
Part B Coding Coach: Guest Columnist: Alice Marie Reybitz, RN, BA, CPC, CPC-H - Apply These Surefire Tips for 90-Day Global Period Sucess
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Article Overview
This article is a practical overview of Medicare’s global surgical package for part B billing, written for coders, billers, and office staff who manage surgical claims and follow-up care. It covers the timing of the global period, the types of services included, coordination among multiple providers, and the broad use of surgical modifiers during the global period. The discussion is aimed at helping readers understand why global period claims are handled differently and what kinds of workflow issues can arise when more than one practitioner is involved.
Why This Topic Matters
Global period rules affect whether related services are bundled or billed separately, so understanding them is important for avoiding denials, duplicate payment issues, and claim coordination problems.
Article Sections
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Reap Proper Reimbursement
Introduces the importance of global period awareness for preoperative and postoperative services. It discusses how visit timing and diagnosis relationships can affect whether a service is considered part of the surgical package.
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Coordinate With All Physicians
Addresses multi-provider care coordination during the global period and the administrative issues that can occur when several practitioners are involved in a patient’s surgical episode.
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Size Up Medicare's Definition
Summarizes Medicare’s broad description of services included in the surgical package and highlights the categories of care that may fall within the global period.
What You Will Learn
- How the global surgical package is structured around surgery and follow-up care
- Which broad categories of services are included in Medicare’s surgical package
- Why coordination matters when more than one provider treats the patient
- How the global period can affect billing workflow and claim processing
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Surgical coordinators
- Physician office staff
- Revenue cycle professionals
Modifiers Discussed
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