General Surgery Coding Alert

Question: When a resident assists a surgeon in a teaching hospital, do we need to add modifier GC to the procedure code for surgery or is that a modifier for E/M codes only?Florida SubscriberAnswer: Yes, you should append modifier GC (This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician) to surgical procedure codes when a resident assists a surgeon in a teaching hospital.Modifier GC is not only for E/M codes. The modifier indicates that a resident provided the procedure under a teaching physician's direction.Know TP rules: When your surgeon works as a "teaching physician" (TP) and supervises a resident's services in a clinic or hospital setting, you will have to report your physician's work using the TP rules, according to the Medicare Carriers Manual (MCM), section 15016.The MCM defines a resident as an intern or fellow who's enrolled in an accredited graduate [...]