Surgery: Advanced Nurse Practitioner Can Be Assistant At Surgery, Carrier Says

Why This Topic Matters

Correctly identifying who may serve as an assistant at surgery and how to bill services during global periods can affect claim acceptance, payment timing, and compliance with payer rules. The article also highlights that carrier policies may vary, making it important for practices to verify coverage and documentation requirements.

Article Sections

1. Assistant at surgery guidance for non-physician practitioners

   Discusses carrier guidance on when non-physician practitioners may serve in an assistant role and the kinds of eligibility and supervision considerations that may apply. It also notes that policies can differ by state and payer.

2. Global period handling for unrelated surgery

   Covers carrier guidance on billing a second, unrelated operation during an existing postoperative period and the related claims-processing concerns. It also addresses the need to monitor for denials or delays.

3. Unlisted CPT code global period questions

   Describes carrier guidance on how global period status may be determined for unlisted procedure coding and how the length of the global period may be assigned. The discussion distinguishes between broad major and minor procedure categories.