Splitting a surgery using modifiers -54, -55 and -56 requires a lot of coordination, Cobuzzi says. The surgeon or other doctor who takes over the post-op care has to know what code the earlier surgeon used to bill for the procedure. "You shouldn't be guessing," Cobuzzi adds. "You should be getting the chart," or you won't get paid.
"You should be sending someone with the operative note and the coding to the person doing the post-op care so he can bill it out correctly," Cobuzzi says.