[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 42, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 42CFR415.190]

[Page 670]
 
                         TITLE 42--PUBLIC HEALTH
 
                             HUMAN SERVICES
 
PART 415--SERVICES FURNISHED BY PHYSICIANS IN PROVIDERS, SUPERVISING PHYSICIANS IN TEACHING SETTINGS, AND RESIDENTS IN CERTAIN SETTINGS--Table of Contents
 
           Subpart D--Physician Services in Teaching Settings
 
Sec. 415.190  Conditions of payment: Assistants at surgery in teaching hospitals.

    (a) Basis, purpose, and scope. This section describes the conditions 
under which Medicare pays on a fee schedule basis for the services of an 
assistant at surgery in a teaching hospital. This section is based on 
section 1842(b)(7)(D)(I) of the Act and applies only to hospitals with 
an approved GME residency program. Except as specified in paragraph (c) 
of this section, fee schedule payment is not available for assistants at 
surgery in hospitals with--
    (1) A training program relating to the medical specialty required 
for the surgical procedure; and
    (2) A resident in a training program relating to the specialty 
required for the surgery available to serve as an assistant at surgery.
    (b) Definition. Assistant at surgery means a physician who actively 
assists the physician in charge of a case in performing a surgical 
procedure.
    (c) Conditions for payment for assistants at surgery. Payment on a 
fee schedule basis is made for the services of an assistant at surgery 
in a teaching hospital only if the services meet one of the following 
conditions:
    (1) Are required as a result of exceptional medical circumstances.
    (2) Are complex medical procedures performed by a team of 
physicians, each performing a discrete, unique function integral to the 
performance of a complex medical procedure that requires the special 
skills of more than one physician.
    (3) Constitute concurrent medical care relating to a medical 
condition that requires the presence of, and active care by, a physician 
of another specialty during surgery.
    (4) Are medically required and are furnished by a physician who is 
primarily engaged in the field of surgery, and the primary surgeon does 
not use interns and residents in the surgical procedures that the 
surgeon performs (including preoperative and postoperative care).
    (5) Are not related to a surgical procedure for which CMS determines 
that assistants are used less than 5 percent of the time.