Wiki Assistant Surgeon**HELP**

[tboback]

**SECOND TIME POSTING**
Sorry, but I need help,
Who can qualify as an Assistant Surgeon and what type of documentation is required?

Resident and PA-C's are submitting encounters as Assistant Surgeon. They are not dictating their own report. I believe they need to dictate their own report.

Someone had asked can Residents and PA-C's even qualify for Assistant Surgeon or First Assistants?
Is there any guidelines out there for this?

Please let me know your thoughts!
Tina

 

[jaa3397]

Physician Assistants can assist in surgery and be billed as assistants as long as they are working within the scope of their practice and delineation of responsibilities as outlined by their supervising physician. They are billed using modifier -AS or -80 depending on which the payer prefers. The surgeon needs to document in the operative note their presence by name and what they did to actually assist in the case. We bill our PA-C as assistant surgeon for our spine cases all the time. You will need to look up the assistant surgeon rules published by your payers and/or the state medical board to know the allowed scope of practice. I hope this helps.

 

[peggy66215@yahoo.com]

Assistant surgeons

PA's can bill as assistant surgeon - they don't need a separate report, as long as the primary surgeon documents them on the operative report.

Residents can be listed on operative reports and no additional documentation is needed. They are billed out under the primary surgeon. You will need to add a GC modifier, if Medicare.

Peggy