The Global Period is one of the most important. It’s part of the Global Surgery Concept introduced by Medicare to streamline billing for surgical procedures.
In simple terms, the global period is a specific timeframe during which all surgical services, including post-operative visits, are bundled under a single claim. This means providers cannot bill them separately. For those unfamiliar with surgery, global periods are normally 0, 10, or 90 days. For now, we will tackle this one bite at a time.
Services Provided Under the Global Period
Medicare defines global periods differently for major and minor surgeries:
- Major surgeries – 90 days (starting one day before surgery)
- Minor surgeries – 0 or 10 days (including the day of surgery)
Covered services typically include:
Pre-Operative Care
Intraoperative Care
Post-Operative Care
Not Included in the Global Period:
- Unrelated consultations
- Emergency services
- Separate, unrelated procedures
Post Operative Modifiers for Global Period
Modifiers provide additional details when services fall inside or outside the global package. Common ones include:
- Modifier 24 – E/M and unrelated service during the global period.
- Modifier 58 – Staged or related procedure during the recovery period.
- Modifier 78 – Unplanned return to surgery for related issue.
- Modifier 79 – Unrelated procedure by the same physician during the global period.
000 = No post-op days (same day only)
010 = 10-day post-op period
090 = 90-day post-op period
MMM = Maternity (full maternity cycle)
XXX = Global concept doesn’t apply
YYY = Carrier determines period
ZZZ = Related to another procedure (follows primary code’s period)
Applying the correct Indicator and modifier may assist with compliance and reimbursement.
At RevaxisMD, we help healthcare providers manage complex billing rules like the global period so they can focus on patient care while we ensure proper claim submission and maximum reimbursements.
Schedule a Consultation
Schedule your consultation today and start your journey towards a healthier Revenue Cycle Management. Contact us now!
Related Post
Case Studies
RevaxisMD case studies
Results-focused revenue cycle stories.
Explore example outcomes from specialty practices that brought greater structure, visibility, and follow-through to their billing operations.
Find a relevant story
Proof built around practice realities
Cardiology
Independent cardiology practice
A growing cardiology group needed clearer oversight of high-value claims, payer follow-up, and denials.
RevaxisMD introduced specialty-aware claim review, structured payer follow-up, and a recurring denial review rhythm.
- Denial rate: 18% → 6%
- A/R days: 52 → 36
- 90-day implementation
Behavioral Health
Multi-location behavioral health group
A behavioral health group needed a more reliable process for authorizations, claims, and payment posting across locations.
The team aligned front-office handoffs with billing workflows and added clearer visibility into outstanding claims.
- Clean claims: 89% → 97%
- A/R days: 61 → 42
- 120-day implementation
Multi-specialty
Multi-specialty physician group
Different service lines were operating with inconsistent billing workflows and fragmented reporting.
RevaxisMD created shared reporting, specialty-specific claim rules, and an accountable follow-up process.
- Denials: 22% fewer
- Collections: +14%
- 90-day implementation
Primary Care
Growing primary care practice
Provider enrollment and billing support needed to keep pace with new providers and payer participation.
Credentialing and billing workflows were coordinated around provider onboarding and ongoing payer maintenance.
- Enrollment backlog: -40%
- Clean claims: 96%
- Quarterly reporting
The common thread
Each result begins with a workflow your team can actually use.
- Assess the gapReview the billing, claims, and follow-up work that needs attention.
- Build the rhythmAlign practical processes with specialty and payer requirements.
- Measure togetherKeep reporting and communication focused on what moves next.
See what focused support could do for your practice
Ready to make your revenue cycle the next success story?
Request a complimentary billing audit and identify the opportunities in your own workflow.
