Understanding the costs associated with surgery upfront is important for patients and payers.

A surgical letter includes a surgeon’s expected costs for a specific surgery. The letter aims to provide a budget for preoperative care, costs on the day of surgery, and postoperative care. The letter may be created for a cash-paying patient, as an insurance requirement, or for insurance settlement purposes.

When tasked with crafting a surgical letter, it’s important to ask yourself:

What do I need to include in the letter?
How do I learn the medical-specific codes?
Where do I find the costs for each item?

The American Academy of Professional Coders published Dawn’s article in the May 2023 edition of Healthcare Business Monthly Magazine. Click ‘How to Craft a Surgical Letter‘ to read Dawn’s article, or click ‘here‘ to view the entire publication.