Global Period Calculator
When does the global period end? Enter the procedure code and surgery date — get the exact last day of the 0, 10 or 90-day window, straight from the Medicare fee schedule.
When a surgeon is paid for a procedure, Medicare is also buying the routine follow-up care around it. That bundled window is the global period — 0, 10 or 90 days depending on the code — and services billed inside it need the right modifier, or a genuinely unrelated reason, to be paid. Enter the procedure code and surgery date and this calculator gives you the exact end of the window.
Calculate a global period
The global day values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 000 | End of the procedure day only — there is no post-operative period beyond the day itself. |
| 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 post-operative days. |
| 090 | Major procedure: 1 pre-operative day, the day of surgery, and 90 post-operative days. This calculator counts the post-operative window from the day of surgery through day 90. |
| XXX | The global concept does not apply to this code (most E/M and diagnostic services). |
| YYY | The global period is set by your MAC (typical for unlisted codes). |
| ZZZ | Add-on code — the global period of the primary procedure it is billed with applies. |
| MMM | Maternity code — the usual global maternity package does not apply to this code. |
Billing inside a global period
- Related follow-up care is included — routine post-op visits during the window are part of the procedure payment and are not billed separately.
- Unrelated E/M during the post-op window is reported with modifier 24; a significant, separately identifiable E/M on the day of a minor procedure takes modifier 25, and the E/M that results in the decision for major surgery takes modifier 57.
- Returns to the operating room use modifiers 78 (related), 58 (staged/planned) and 79 (unrelated procedure) — picking the wrong one changes both payment and the new global period.
Data: the global days field of the CMS CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value File (RVU26D, October release). Individual payers occasionally set different windows in contract — confirm against the payer's policy for non-Medicare claims.
Frequently asked questions
What is a global period in medical billing?
The global period is the window around a procedure during which related care is included in the procedure's payment: evaluation and management visits for follow-up, routine post-operative care and treatment of complications that do not require a return to the operating room. Medicare sets it per code in the fee schedule — 0, 10 or 90 days for most procedures.
How is the 90-day global period counted?
For a major (090) procedure, Medicare's global package covers the day before surgery, the day of surgery and the 90 days that follow. This calculator reports the post-operative end date as the surgery date plus 90 days — the last day on which a related visit is still inside the window. Minor (010) procedures cover the day of the procedure plus 10 days; 000 codes end the same day.
Which modifiers are used for services inside a global period?
The common ones: 24 for an unrelated E/M during the post-operative period, 25 for a significant, separately identifiable E/M on the day of a minor procedure, 57 for the E/M that leads to the decision for major surgery, 58 for a staged or planned related procedure, 78 for a related return to the operating room, and 79 for an unrelated procedure during the post-op window.