This policy provides guidelines for the reimbursement of services provided by an Assistant Surgeon.
| Modifier | Description |
| 80 | Assistant Surgeon |
| 81 | Minimum Assistant Surgeon |
| 82 | Assistant Surgeon (when qualified resident surgeon not available) |
| AS | Physician Assistant (PA), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) services for Assistant at Surgery |
An assistant surgeon actively assists the primary surgeon performing a surgical procedure. Assistant surgeons submit the identical procedure code(s) as the primary surgeon, with the appropriate modifier appended (80, 81, 82, or AS) to represent their service(s).
The reimbursement amount is dependent upon the assistant surgeon modifier appended to the surgical code(s) submitted. Only one assistant surgeon will be reimbursed for each eligible procedure(s).
| Modifier | Reimbursement Percentage |
| 80 | 20% of the fee schedule |
| 81 | 20% of the fee schedule |
| 82 | 20% of the fee schedule |
| AS | 17% of the fee schedule (Fee Schedule Amount x 85%) x 20% |
Note: Multiple procedure reductions may apply if an assistant at surgery submits multiple procedure codes. Refer to the Multiple Surgeries Reimbursement Policy for additional information.
The assistant at surgery procedure code eligible list is developed based on the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Relative Value Unit (RVU) File status indicators. All codes in the CMS PFS RVU File with the status indicator “2” for “Assistant at Surgery” are reimbursable for assistant at surgery services, when indicated by an assistant surgeon modifier (80, 81, 82, or AS).
| CMS Definition for Assistant Surgery Status Indicator | |
| 2 | Payment restriction for assistant at surgery does not apply to this procedure. Assistant at surgery may be paid. |
While reimbursement is considered, payment determination is subject to, but not limited to:
In instances where the provider is participating, based on member benefits, co-payment, coinsurance, and/or deductible shall apply.
| Date | Updates |
| 9/19/19 | Added CMS status indicators, Limitations and Exclusions, Disclaimer and History. |
Reimbursement policies are intended only to establish general guidelines for reimbursement under BCBSND plans. BCBSND retains the right to review and update its reimbursement policy guidelines at its sole discretion.