99024 CPT Reimbursement & Policy Benchmarks | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 99024: Postoperative E/M Service During Global Surgical Period

CPT code 99024 documents an evaluation and management (E/M) service that occurs during the global surgical period and is related to the surgery the patient recently underwent. Nationally, this code matters because it clarifies when postoperative or related E/M services are considered part of the global surgical package rather than separately billable, which affects billing practices and audit risk across payers. Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will gain a concise understanding of the clinical and billing context for CPT code 99024, how payers typically treat postoperative E/M visits within global periods, and where to look for benchmark and policy guidance. The publication summarizes common use cases for 99024, highlights payer coverage patterns and potential documentation considerations, and outlines the national policy context affecting postoperative E/M billing. Data not available in the input for specific modifiers, associated taxonomies, and ICD-10 mappings is noted where relevant in detailed sections.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare99024CPTpostoperative-careglobal-periodevaluation-and-managementsurgical-follow-upbilling-guidancemedical-coding

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 99024 is reported when the provider performs an evaluation and management (E/M) service that is related to and occurs during the global surgical period for a procedure the patient underwent. This code documents a postoperative or related E/M encounter that is part of the surgical global package rather than a separate, billable postoperative visit.

Service type: Postoperative E/M service related to a recent surgery
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient, outpatient surgical clinic, or office setting when the visit is related to the postoperative care during the global period

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a 56-year-old man who underwent an outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy five days ago and presents to the surgeon's clinic within the global postoperative period for evaluation of wound healing and postoperative symptoms. The visit is an evaluation/management encounter directly related to the recent surgery. The provider documents that the visit is for routine postoperative care and determines no new problem requiring unrelated E/M management exists. The clinical workflow includes review of the operative note, assessment of incision sites, assessment for signs of infection or complications, medication reconciliation, and counseling regarding activity and return precautions. The visit is billed under the global surgical package; when the provider performs an E/M encounter related to and during the global period, 99024 is used to indicate routine postoperative follow-up included in the surgical global payment.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier	Standard reporting when no modifier applies
`24`	Unrelated E/M service by the same physician during a post-op period

CPT 99072: Infection-Prevention Supplies for Nonfacility Office Visits

CPT-99051-AFTER-HOURS-OFFICE-EVALUATION

CPT 99051: After-Hours Office Evaluation and Management

CPT-99001-SPECIMEN-PREPARATION-OFF-SITE-COLLECTION-SEND-OUT-LAB

CPT 99001: Specimen Preparation and Send-Out for Off-Site Collections

CPT-98984-REMOTE-THERAPEUTIC-MONITORING-RESPIRATORY-2-15-DAYS

CPT 98984: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring—Respiratory Devices (2–15 Days)

CPT-99002-ORTHOTIC-PROSTHETIC-DEVICE-PROVISION-AND-FITTING

CPT 99002: Orthotic, Prosthetic, and Medical Device Provision and Fitting

CPT-99050-AFTER-HOURS-OFFICE-SERVICE

CPT 99050: After-Hours Office Service

CPT-99058-EMERGENCY-OFFICE-VISIT-UNSCHEDULED

CPT 99058: Emergency Office Visit, Unscheduled During Regular Hours

CPT-99080-PROVIDER-COMPLETED-FORMS-REPORTS-ADMINISTRATIVE-SERVICE

CPT 99080: Provider Completion of Forms or Reports

CPT-98985-RTM-MUSCULOSKELETAL-DEVICE-SUPPLY-2-15-DAYS

CPT 98985: RTM Musculoskeletal Device Supply, 2–15 Days

CPT-99078-GROUP-PATIENT-EDUCATION

CPT 99078: Group Patient Education Instruction

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`208D00000X`	General Surgery	Surgeons who perform and manage postoperative care for general surgical procedures
`207L00000X`	Obstetrics & Gynecology	Gynecologic surgeons who provide postoperative follow-up for related procedures
`207K00000X`	Orthopaedic Surgery	Orthopedic surgeons providing routine postoperative E/M visits within global periods
`207P00000X`	Gastroenterology	Gastroenterologists who may perform endoscopic procedures with postoperative follow-up
`208000000X`	Family Medicine	Primary care clinicians who manage routine postoperative follow-up when appropriate

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`K80.20`	Calculus of gallbladder without cholecystitis, without obstruction	Common preoperative diagnosis for patients undergoing cholecystectomy whose postoperative follow-up is billed under `99024`
`K35.80`	Unspecified acute appendicitis	Typical surgical diagnosis leading to appendectomy with routine postoperative visits included in the global period
`K40.90`	Unilateral inguinal hernia, without obstruction or gangrene, not specified as recurrent	Hernia repairs often have global periods; routine postoperative E/M visits are part of the global package
`M17.9`	Osteoarthritis of knee, unspecified	When knee arthroplasty or arthroscopic procedures are performed, postoperative follow-up visits are covered by the global period
`N40.0`	Enlarged prostate with lower urinary tract symptoms	When transurethral procedures or prostate surgeries are performed, routine post-op care is included in surgical global payments

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`99211`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 5 minutes	Low-complexity post-op assessment that may occur within the global period but generally included in `99024`
`99212`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 10 minutes	Common level of E/M used for brief routine postoperative visits that fall within the global package
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 15 minutes	Moderate complexity postoperative visit; documentation often supports inclusion in the surgical global payment
`99024`	Postoperative follow-up visit included in the global surgical package	Specifically designated code to indicate routine postoperative E/M care included in the global period
`99070`	Supplies and materials provided by physician over and above those usually included with the office visit	Used for durable supplies provided at a postoperative visit not included in the global package

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