Wiki Pre-operative visits after the decision for surgery

dje10008

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In this guideline, the first bullet. "Pre-operative visits after the decision is made to operate" Is there a time frame for this? For example, if a surgeon decided on Major Surgery/CABG on January 5th but doesn't have the surgery until April 16th. (due to covid restrictions, personal reasons, scheduling, etc..) PT comes into the office 3 months later, April 5th with the same diagnosis, surgery is schedule. Is this office visit billable or consider pre-op?

Medicare includes the following services in the global surgery payment when provided in addition to the surgery:
• Pre-operative visits after the decision is made to operate. For major procedures, this includes preoperative visits the day before the day of surgery. For minor procedures, this includes pre-operative visits the day of surgery.
• Intra-operative services that are normally a usual and necessary part of a surgical procedure
• All additional medical or surgical services required of the surgeon during the post-operative period of the surgery because of complications, which do not require additional trips to the operating room
• Follow-up visits during the post-operative period of the surgery that are related to recovery from the surgery
• Post-surgical pain management by the surgeon
• Supplies, except for those identified as exclusions
• Miscellaneous services, such as dressing changes, local incision care, removal of operative pack, removal of cutaneous sutures and staples, lines, wires, tubes, drains, casts, and splints; insertion, irrigation, and removal of urinary catheters, routine peripheral intravenous lines, nasogastric and rectal tubes; and changes and removal of tracheostomy tubes
 
To my knowledge, there is no time frame specified. However, in your situation, if the patient is returning because so much time has passed and the physician needs to re-evaluate the condition to see if the original procedure is still appropriate, my personal opinion is that should be billable.
 
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