A pt has a surgery done and must pay cash (for denial, elective surgery, etc.). Other specialists practices are telling us they are still billing the pt’s insurance for the pre-op and post-op visits. (Even those w/in the global period). He asked if it would be "correct" to bill this way.

I told my provider that I was uncomfortable doing this, because even though the pt paid cash, I feel it is still a global charge and I am also afraid that if we were audited we would get cited for not billing equally to all of our patients.

Thoughts?