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Billing code

A194A — Partial assessment – psychiatry

Brief psychiatry visit

A psychiatrist bills A194 for a partial assessment: history of the presenting complaint, the needed exam, advice and a record.

Watch for: Your out-of-hospital psychotherapy or psychiatric care the same day isn't payable unless the diagnoses are clearly different.

Code

A194A

Description

Partial assessment – psychiatry

FHO+ basket

Not in the FHO+ base rate basket (Schedule 2 or 2B).

Effective date

Apr 1, 2026

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Psychiatrist's partial assessment: history of the presenting complaint, the needed exam, advice and a record.

What it covers

A partial assessment is a limited service: a history of the presenting complaint, the necessary physical exam, advice to the patient and an appropriate record (GP25).

A194 is the psychiatry general listing (A184).

Billing rules

• Out-of-hospital psychotherapy or psychiatric care the same day by you is not payable unless the diagnoses are clearly different (GP55).
• Can be done by video or phone with an existing relationship; add K300A or K301A (Appendix J, A70).

Common rejections

• AT3: Billed as virtual care (K300A/K301A) and OHIP found no existing patient-physician relationship, such as an in-person service by you in the past 24 months (A66).

Related codes: A193, A195, A196, A395, K198, K197

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Psychiatry (19), page A184; rules GP25.

APEX checks every paid claim against the Schedule of Benefits and flags codes billed below what the visit qualified for. See how APEX works · Pricing