Wiki Pre-OP exam

[KoBee]

Need some understanding in how to code the preop exam..

Provider (Otolaryngologist) sees a patient in his office for pre-op exam for schedule surgery of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, which he is going to be the surgeon for the procedure.

Do I use an E/M to bill the pre-op?
or is there an internal way where the billers should know it should be included in the surgery since it is a 90 day global period.

Help please!

 

[csperoni]

For procedures with a global period, the global period starts 1 day prior to surgery, and then either 10 or 90 days after the surgery.
I could use some clarification on the "pre-op exam" situation you describe. Why is the patient coming to the office just to schedule surgery? If the provider already saw the patient and determined the tonsillectomy is needed, why have the patient return? If the visit was the evaluation and decision to perform surgery, it is absolutely billable and payable with E&M codes (even if it is the day before surgery with modifier -57.)