Post Op Hemorrhage Repair: Is it Billable?

Question:

Can I bill for taking the patient back to the OR to explore and repair post-op hemorrhage on day 3 post-op? I heard that all complications are included in the payment of the original surgery.

Answer:

Yes, you may bill for this.   CPT and Medicare agree that taking the patient back to the OR to treat a complication is billable. Modifier 78 (unplanned return to the OR) is appended to the procedure code(s) performed to treat the hemorrhage.  The appropriate ICD-10-CM code for a postoperative hemorrhage would also be reported.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 1/17/19.