Global period conflicts
Post-op visits denied. Global periods tracked; modifiers applied only when justified.
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General Surgery medical billing services
General surgery billing revolves around global periods, modifier precision and the bundling edits that govern what can be billed with the primary procedure. Hernia, gallbladder, breast and colorectal surgery each have their own code specifics, and assistant-surgeon rules add another layer.
What makes general surgery billing different
General billers treat every specialty the same. These are the rules, code families and payer habits that decide whether general surgery claims pay the first time.
- Global periods (0, 10 or 90 days) include routine post-operative care; unrelated visits need modifier 24 and complications returning to the OR need modifier 78.
- NCCI edits bundle many components; separate billing requires modifier 59 or the X modifiers only when genuinely distinct.
- Assistant surgeon (modifiers 80, 81, 82, AS) payment depends on payer policy and whether the procedure allows an assistant.
- Hernia repair codes changed in 2023 to size and reducibility-based coding, and old habits still produce denials.
Denials we see most in general surgery
Every denial gets a root cause, a fix and a feedback loop, so the same denial stops coming back.
Bundling denials
Components billed separately. NCCI edits applied before submission.
Assistant surgeon denials
Assistant claims denied for non-eligible procedures. Checked per code and payer.
How Core MB bills for general surgery
A dedicated team that already knows your payers' rules, plus the reporting to prove it is working. Credentialing for new general surgery providers runs in the same system, tracked live in your client portal.
- Global period tracking for every procedure.
- NCCI-aware coding with correct modifier use.
- Assistant surgeon eligibility checked before billing.
Everything in the service
The full revenue cycle as standard for general surgery practices, priced on what we collect for you. Take all of it, or start with one piece such as AR recovery or credentialing.
- Insurance verification and eligibility checks
- Charge entry and specialty-specific coding review
- Claim scrubbing and electronic submission
- Payer follow-up on every open claim
- Denial management and appeals
- Payment posting and reconciliation
- Accounts receivable recovery
- Patient statements and balance support
- Monthly reporting you can read in five minutes
- Provider credentialing and payer enrollment
General Surgery billing questions
What is a global period?
A window after surgery during which routine follow-up care is included in the surgical payment. Billing visits inside it is denied and is a compliance risk; unrelated care needs the right modifier.
How did hernia coding change?
Since 2023 hernia repair codes are based on total defect size and reducibility rather than the old anatomic and age-based codes. We code from the operative report under the new system.
Do you bill assistant surgeons?
Yes, where the procedure and payer allow an assistant, using the modifier the payer recognizes.
How do we get started with Core MB for general surgery billing?
Send us your specialty, provider count and monthly claim volume through the quote form and we will come back with a written proposal. Transitions run alongside your current billing so nothing is dropped, and credentialing for new general surgery providers can start at the same time.
More in surgical and procedural
Find out what your general surgery billing is leaving on the table
Send us a snapshot of your current billing and we will come back with a quote and a realistic view of recoverable revenue.