The Global Surgical Package is a range of services provided by a surgeon before, during, and after surgery. A surgeon or a group of surgeons receives payment for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative services. Doctors working in the same group and having the same specializations receive equal pay regardless of their contribution to the procedure as if they were one person (Global Surgery Booklet, 2018). Depending on the duration of the postoperative period, surgical services are divided into minor surgery lasting ten days and major surgery lasting 90 days. Minor surgical procedures usually involve procedures under general anesthesia and minimal complications that do not require postoperative resuscitation. On the contrary, major surgical procedures include invasive procedures in which a more extensive resection is performed, the risks are increased and the recovery period after surgery is prolonged.
There are also three global periods, including preoperative visits after the decision on the operation, the surgical procedure itself, and postoperative services with accompanying medical services. The first period counts the time starting from the day preceding the day of surgery for the main procedures or the day of surgery for minor procedures. The third period includes all procedures related to complications that do not require additional trips to the operating room during the postoperative period. An example of a CPT code of Category I is code 01382, which describes anesthesia for arthroscopic diagnostic procedures of the knee joint. An example of Category II may be code 4037F, indicating that influenza immunization is ordered or administered. The code of Category III can be, for example, the code 0123T, which demonstrates the cases of the fistulation of sclera for glaucoma through the ciliary body. Such definitions were established by Medicare basically to ensure that Medicare Administrative Contractors pay for the same services consistently across all jurisdictions.
Reference
Global Surgery Booklet. (2018, September). MLN Booklet.