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How to handle co-management billing

August 3, 2026

The role of modifiers in pre- and postoperative care billing.

Tag(s): Practice Management, Billing and Coding


Key Takeaways

  • When billing for co-management, specific modifiers are used to designate the services provided by each practitioner.  
  • The global surgery period for cataracts is 90 days with the date of surgery being day 0. 
  • Reimbursement for postoperative care is valued at 20% of the global fee (80% is for the presurgical evaluation and the surgery itself). This 20% is allocated between   the surgeon and the co-managing optometrist based on the number of days each provider is responsible for the patient, which is determined by the transfer of care document.  
  • For the claim to be accurate, the optometrist must know the date they assumed responsibility for postoperative care (the transfer date). 

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