Since the Medicare fee schedule amount for surgical procedures includes all services that are part of the global surgery package, A/B MACs (B) do not pay more than that amount when a bill is fragmented. When total charges for fragmented services exceed the global fee, process the claim as a fee schedule reduction (except where stated policies, e.g., the surgeon performs only the surgery and a physician other than the surgeon provides preoperative and postoperative inpatient care, result in payment that is higher than the global surgery allowed amount). A/B MACs (B) do not attribute such reductions to medical review savings except where the usual medical review process results in recoding of a service, and the recoded service is included in the global surgery package.
The maximum a nonparticipating physician may bill a beneficiary on an unassigned claim for services included in the global surgery package is the limiting charge for the surgical procedure.
In addition, the limitation of liability provision (§1879 of the Act) does not apply to these determinations since they are fee schedule reductions, not denials based upon medical necessity or custodial care.
Claims for surgeries billed with a “-22” or “-52” modifier, are priced by individual consideration if the statement and documentation required. If the statement and documentation are not submitted with the claim, pricing for “-22” is it the fee schedule rate for the same surgery submitted without the “-22” modifier. Pricing for “-52” is not done without the required documentation.
Separate payment is allowed for visits and procedures billed with modifier “-78,” “-79,” “-24,” “-25,” “-57,” or “-58.” Modifier “-24” must be accompanied by sufficient documentation that the visit is unrelated to the surgery. Also, when used with the critical care codes, modifiers “-24” and “-25” must be accompanied by documentation that the critical care was unrelated to the specific anatomic injury or general surgical procedure performed.
A/B MACs (B) do not allow separate payment for evaluation and management services furnished on the same day or during the postoperative period of a surgery if the services are billed without modifier “-24,” “-25,” or “-57.” These services should be denied. A/B MACs (B) do not allow separate payment for visits during the postoperative period that are billed with the modifier “-24” but without sufficient documentation. These services should also be denied. Modifier “-24” is intended for use with services that are absolutely unrelated to the surgery. It is not to be used for the medical management of a patient by the surgeon following surgery. Recognize modifier “-24” only for care following discharge unless:
• The care is for immunotherapy management furnished by the transplant surgeon;
• The care is for critical care for a burn or trauma patient; or
• The documentation demonstrates that the visit occurred during a subsequent hospitalization and the diagnosis supports the fact that it is unrelated to the original surgery.
A/B MACs (B) do not allow separate payment for an additional procedure(s) with a global surgery fee period if furnished during the postoperative period of a prior procedure and if billed without modifier “-58,” “-78,” or “-79.” These services should be denied. Codes with the global surgery indicator of “XXX” in the MFSDB can be paid separately without a modifier.