

Here, providers should document patient and procedure characteristics which necessitate the services of an assistant surgeon. 0 = Medicare may pay for an assistant-at-surgery if the medical record documentation supports the medical necessity for the assistant.

Medicare’s payment policy indicator determines whether an assistant-at-surgery will be reimbursed or not. Payment Policy Indicators and Documentation Requirements Medicare does not reimburse Registered Nurse First Assistants (RNFAs) for assistant-at-surgery but reimburses Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), and Physician Assistants (PA) if the service is within their state scope of practice, protocol, and hospital granted privileges.Īn assistant surgeon is considered medically necessary when the complexity of the operation necessitates the primary surgeon to have additional skilled operative assistance from – another surgeon, a licensed physician assistant or a registered nurse first assistant. Medical billing and coding outsourcing helps busy surgeons to deal with claim documentation and submission. Successful billing relies on how physicians document operative reports and use modifiers. “Assistant at surgery” is a billable service and Medicare allows 16% of the usual surgical allowance for this service.

This assistant surgeon provides more than just ancillary services.
#Surgical first assistant billing professional
An “assistant at surgery” refers to a licensed professional who actively assists the operating surgeon while performing a surgical procedure.
