Wiki Assistant Surgeon-Who can qualify

[tboback]

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?

Please let me know your thoughts!
Tina

 

[FTessaBartels]

Assistant Surgeon

Residents are NEVER billable. They are typically listed on the operative report as assistant surgeon, but are still NOT billable.

PAC may be billable IF there is documentation in the operative note that "there was no qualified resident available" ... if you are in a teaching hospital you are expected to use the residents as assistants, so you need this qualifyin statement for those cases where the PA has skills/expertise to assist and no qualified resident was available.

Finally ... NO additional operative report is required for the assistant surgeon.

CO-surgeons, however, must EACH dictate their own operative report.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC