We have an Orthopedic Practice that hired a Surgical Tech. According to the ST if he gets a certification from NIFA, we can get reimbursed for his services, the same as a PA or NP. After he gets certified, his initials will be CSTFA, can we get reimbursed for his services?

Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Midwives are the only non-physician providers that Medicare will reimburse for Assistant at Surgery services. These providers submit their services using the AS modifier.

Medicare will not reimburse a CST (certified surgical technologist), CSTFA (certified surgical technologist, first assist), or RNFA (registered nurse, first assist). Check your contract or survey your private payors to determine if they reimburse for a non-physician provider who is assisting at surgery. If the private payor reimburses for the non-physician services, ask them to submit in writing a list of those providers they cover and how the non-physician provider should report their services to the private payor.

Mary LeGrand, RN, MA, CCS-P
KarenZupko & Associates, Inc.