OAR 410-130-0380: Surgery Guidelines

(1) The Division of Medical Assistance Programs (Division) reimburses all covered surgical procedures as global packages. Global payments do not include initial consultation or evaluation of the problem by the surgeon to determine the need for surgery. (2) Surgical procedures listed in the Medical-Surgical Services administrative rules with prior authorization (PA) indicated require authorization unless they are emergent. (3) Global payment for major surgery includes: (a) Surgery; (b) Pre-operative visits within 15 days of the surgery (except the initial consultation); (c) Initial admission history and physical; (d) Related follow-up visits within 90 days after the surgery; (e) Treatment of complications not requiring a return trip to the operating room; (f) Hospital discharge. (4) Global payment for minor surgery includes: (a) Surgery; (b) Pre-operative visits within 15 days of the surgery; (c) Initial admission history and physical; (d) Related follow-up visits for 10 days after the surgery; (e) Hospital discharge. (5) Global payment for endoscopy includes: (a) Surgery; (b) Related visit on the same day as the endoscopy procedure; (c) No follow-up days for this procedure; (d) Pre-operative and post-operative care provided by the surgeon’s associate(s) or by another physician “on call” for the surgeon are considered included in the reimbursement to the surgeon and will not be paid in addition to the payment to the surgeon; (e) Do not bill separately for procedures which are considered to be bundled in another procedure. Payment for bundled services is included in the primary surgery payment. (6) Co-surgeons — Two or more surgeons/same or different specialties/separate functions/one major or complex surgery: (a) Add modifier -62 to procedure code(s); (b) Payment will be determined by medical review. (7) Team Surgeons — Two or more surgeons/different specialties performing/separate surgeries/same operative session: (a) Add modifier -66 to procedure code(s); (b) Payment will be determined by medical review. (8) Multiple Surgical Procedures performed during the same operative session: (a) Primary Procedure paid at 100% of the Division maximum fee for that procedure; (b) Second and third procedure paid at 50% of the Division maximum fee; (c) Fourth, fifth, etc. paid at 25% or less as determined by the Division; (d) Endoscopic procedures paid at 100% of the Division maximum fee for the primary level procedure. The Division fee for insertion will be deducted from the maximum allowable for each additional procedure performed at the same site; (e) Bill each procedure on separate lines (even multiples of the same procedure) unless the code description specifies “each additional”; (f) Bilateral procedures must be billed on two lines unless a single code identifies a bilateral procedure. Use modifier -50 only on the second line; (g) Reimbursement for laparotomy is included in the surgical procedure and should not be billed separately or in addition to the surgical procedure; (h) For Integumentary System codes 10000 thru 17999, bill multiples of the same procedure on the same line with the appropriate quantity unless the code indicates the first in a series (i.e., code 11100) or the code is for multiple procedures (i.e., code 11900). (9) Surgical Assistance — Payment is restricted to physicians, naturopaths, podiatrists, dentists, nurse practitioners, licensed physician associate, and registered nurse first assistants: (a) The assistance must be medically appropriate; (b) No payment will be made for surgical assistant for minor surgical or diagnostic procedures, e.g., “scoping” procedures; (c) Only one surgical assistant may receive payment (except when the need is clinically documented); (d) Use an appropriate modifier to indicate assistance. [Publications: Publications referenced are available from the agency.]