What is the difference between the global surgical package and a separate procedure?

• A. The global package includes pre- and post-operative care for the included procedure; a separate procedure is billed independently when not encompassed by the global package.
• B. A separate procedure is billed independently when included in the global package.
• C. The global package covers only anesthesia.
• D. A separate procedure always includes implants.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the global surgical package bundles everything related to a specific procedure into one payment. That means preoperative evaluation, the surgery itself, and postoperative follow-up visits that are tied to that procedure are included in the global package during its defined global period.

A separate procedure is billed independently when it isn’t part of that bundled care. If another distinct procedure is performed that has its own CPT code and is not encompassed by the first procedure’s global package, it’s charged separately. The length of the global period (0, 10, or 90 days) depends on the procedure and determines how long those pre- and post-operative services stay bundled.

Also, anesthesia services are billed separately from the surgical global package, and implants or devices related to a procedure follow their own coding as applicable.