The impact of removing global periods on pediatric surgeon reimbursement

Analysis of CMS proposal to eliminate global surgical periods shows most pediatric procedures have RVU valuations exceeding actual postoperative length of stay. Using NSQIP data from 201 CPT codes, researchers found median LOS was 40% lower than CMS assumptions, projecting a $3.4M annual reimbursement reduction for the sample if surgeons must bill postoperative visits separately.