Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Practice Exam

The term "global period" in surgical coding refers to the time frame during which related services provided before and after a surgery can be billed under the surgical fee. This concept plays a crucial role in understanding bundled payments for surgical procedures.

During the global period, typically defined as either 0, 10, or 90 days depending on the type of surgery performed, all necessary follow-up care related to the surgery is included in the surgical fee. This means that any reasonable and necessary services that are integral to the surgical procedure, such as post-operative visits, care for complications that arise from the surgery, and any other related services, are considered part of the global fee and cannot be billed separately by the surgeon or other providers.

Understanding the global period is vital for accurate coding and billing practices, ensuring that healthcare providers comply with payer guidelines while minimizing the risk of revenue loss from unbilled services that fall within this period.

The other options do not correctly encapsulate the definition of global period, as they either restrict the timeframe to discharge or follow-up care specifically, or relate the concept to insurance coverage rather than the coding perspective.