Ortho PA Surgical Billing

[mgriffiths]

I'm not sure if the billing/coding tab would be a better place, if so, please feel free to move...but,

I am considering a change to orthopedics (from family medicine).  I have worked ortho previously, but my question is about wRVUs and surgical billing.  When I assist in surgery there is a surgical fee that is collected (I am aware there are exceptions, like most arthroscopies), but is this a specific CPT code with RVUs attached to it?

I'm asking because my bonus is based on my producing wRVUs.  When I'm in surgery assisting am I producing wRVUs under my name or is that surgical fee not considered wRVUs?

[Arthropathy]

I'm not privy to wrvus as I have never worked under that model. First assist fees are generally a % of the surgical fee (I think 15%?). It is billed under the surgical cpt code for the specific procedure and billed under the 1st assistants NPI. So it should correlate or at least be easily convertible to wrvus.

[mgriffiths]

I actually got an answer to my own question yesterday, at least as it pertains to my employer.  As Arthropathy mentioned the surgical fee is ballpark 15% of the main surgical billing - but does vary by insurance provider.  The surgical fee is a modifier to the original surgical billing code which translates to RVUs, so would in my case count toward my wRVU bonus.  AWESOME!