Global Surgical Packages consist of all procedures and services performed by the healthcare provider prior to, during, and after the procedure. Medicare reimbursements include payments for all applicable services, including pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative services. Complications that arose during the procedure are also covered by Medicare.
The services included in Global Surgical Packages can be furnished into any setting, such as ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals, and clinics. Follow-ups and visits by a physician, to a patient in critical care or intensive care, are also included. The payments made for visits in intensive care may be paid separately if the patient requires long-term management, such as seriously injured, burned, and requires constant supervision or attendance by the physician.
General surgery codes are categorized under two classifications – major surgery and minor surgery. The difference in the type of surgery reflects in the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) guidelines. These categories greatly affect the amount paid out to the providers. It’s imperative that the billing personnel accurately specify the surgery that the patient is having.