Health Service Code 08.19CW
Telephone or secure videoconference with a patient for scheduled psychiatric treatment or for a palliative care or a chronic pain visit by an eligible physician, per 15 minutes or major portion thereof.
NOTE:
Note: 1. When services other than psychiatric treatment, palliative care or chronic pain services are delivered, the most appropriate health service code (e.g., 03.03CV) should be claimed.
- May be claimed by any physician for palliative care. Palliative care is defined as care given to a patient with a terminal disease such as cancer, AIDS or advanced neurologic disease. Palliative care involves active ongoing multi- disciplinary team care.
- May be claimed by any physician that is part of an interdisciplinary chronic pain program for a chronic pain visit. A chronic pain visit is defined as pain which persists past the normal time of healing, is associated with protracted illness or is a severe symptom of a recurring condition. A chronic pain visit must be part of a comprehensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary program as defined in General Rule 4.2.5. A physician must be able to demonstrate that they have appropriate chronic pain training and experience.
- The patient's record must include a detailed summary of all services provided including time spent and start and stop times.
- Only time spent communicating with the patient and/or the parent/guardian of a patient child can be claimed as part of the service. Time spent on administrative tasks cannot be claimed.
- May not be claimed on the same day as other virtual care services or other in-person visit or consultation services by the same physician for the same patient.
| Common terms: | |
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| Category: | V Visit |
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| Base rate: | $48.89 |
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AMA billing tips:
Effective February 1, 2022, Physicians may claim for time spent discussing a child's treatment with a parent or guardian due to the child's inability to participate in the videoconference or telephone conversation.
- Virtual group therapy to be claimed using this HSC., choose one patient and claim the total time providing group therapy under the one patient's PHN.
- Record the start and stop time of the service in the patient record
- Time premium is NOT billable in addition to this service.
- Service must be provided by a physician
- Patient initiated means that the patient or their agent requested to see the physician. If there are accommodations that need to be made in order to facilitate the request such as the physician calling the patient at a specific time, the service can still be claimed.
- Will not count towards the daily cap
- Other than patients located in NWT at the time of the service, virtual care codes cannot be claimed for patients located outside of AB at the time of the service.
- Virtual care codes cannot be claimed under the medical reciprocal agreement.
Fee modifiers:
| Type | Code | # of calls | Explicit | Action | Amount |
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| SKLL | GP | | | Replace Base | $48.89 |
| SKLL | PED | | | Replace Base | $51.13 |
| CALL | M15 | 1 - 12 | | For Each Call Pay Base At | 100% |
Governing Rules:
No Governing Rules.
