# Modifier for co-surgeon



## simonecunnin (Jun 15, 2012)

Hi all i am new at billing co-surgeon bills. The main surgeon's bills and the co-surgeon's are not the same codes......should it be? should there be a modifier? If so what is the modifier? ......I was the one that coded the surgeon's bills, I was not aware of the main surgeon's bills.....


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## mitchellde (Jun 15, 2012)

If he was a co surgeon then each surgeon performed different parts of the same surgical procedure so yes the codes will match and the modifier required by each surgeon is the 62.  Each surgeons note will include that they took over at a point from the other surgeon or handed off at a point to the other surgeon.   
On the other hand if there were 2 surgeons performing different procedures on the same patient in the same session then each bills what they did with no modifier needed.


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## jmcpolin (Jun 15, 2012)

If they both did separate procedures no modifier is needed, if they shared the work of the same procedure they would both need to add a 62 modifier.


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## simonecunnin (Jun 15, 2012)

Thank you so much...so they both performed different procedures and after going over the notes the main surgeon did not mention he had a co- surgeon is this going to affect the bill and if we will get reimbursed?


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## mitchellde (Jun 15, 2012)

no and he is not a co surgeon if he did a different procedure.  That is why it is not mentioned in the other note.


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## simonecunnin (Jun 15, 2012)

Thank you for all your help...I have one more question do the rules above also apply to First assist surgeons?


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## mitchellde (Jun 15, 2012)

a co surgeon and an assistant surgeon are entirely different issues.


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