Wiki Post-OP

[ckirkp1]

Can a doctor charge a discharge after a major sx? My doctor did a major sx then discharged the pt 4 days later. Can I bill a 99238? Or is it considered global and can't be billed. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Treetoad]

I always thought that the discharge would be related to the surgical procedure, unless the patient had other problems that were addressed while in house.

 

[Belinda Frisch]

I agree.

That is correct. If the condition the patient was treated for is UNRELATED TO THE SURGERY (and documented as such) then the physician may bill with modifier 24. See 30.6.6 of the CMS Claims Processing Manual:

http://www.cms.gov/manuals/downloads/clm104c12.pdf

Otherwise, all is included in the global payment.