You Be the Coder:
Ease Coding for Assistant at Surgery
Published on Sun Dec 01, 2002
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: One of our physicians performed a complete pelvic exenteration and a bilateral pelvic lyphadenectomy. At the same time, he assisted another surgeon who performed the ureteroileal conduit in the same setting. Our Medicare carrier will not reimburse the assistant surgeon. So now we do not bill for any assistant surgeon who performs a major procedure and simultaneously assists another surgeon who performs another procedure in the same setting and bills for the service. Is this policy correct? New York Subscriber