Modifier –55 indicates the billing provider furnished only postoperative management for a procedure that has a global surgical period. According to AAPC, this modifier is appended to the same CPT procedure code used in the global package when the provider does not perform preoperative or intraoperative services and the procedure carries a 10‑ or 90‑day global period. It is commonly used when care is formally transferred from the operating surgeon (who would bill with modifier –54 for surgical care only) to another physician who assumes postoperative follow‑up.

Proper use requires documented transfer of care and that the receiving physician perform at least one postoperative service before billing with –55. Payers such as CMS and coding authorities stress the importance of a transfer agreement; without documented transfer or when postoperative visits are unrelated to the original surgery (or are minor/ED care), standard E/M coding may be the correct approach rather than appending –55. Examples include an out‑of‑state orthopedist billing 29881 with –55 after the operating surgeon billed 29881‑54, or a rural urologist billing 55845‑55 after an academic surgeon billed 55845‑54.

Modifier –55 affects reimbursement because global surgical packages normally bundle preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. When postoperative management is appropriately split and billed with –55, payers may reimburse separately for that portion of the global fee. AAPC notes that in some specialties (for example orthopedic surgery) postoperative management often represents roughly 20% of the global surgery fee, but actual payment depends on correct coordination and documentation: if the original surgeon did not bill with –54 or the transfer is unclear, payers may deny the –55 claim or assert the global package was already paid.