Billing code
A260A — Special paediatric consultation
Long paediatric consultation
A paediatrician bills A260 for a full paediatric consultation with at least 75 minutes of direct patient contact.
Watch for: Record start and stop times in the chart, or the service is not payable; enter the referrer's six-digit billing number.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $342.25 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
- Code
- A260A
- Description
- Special paediatric consultation
- 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
Special paediatric consultation: a full paediatric consultation with at least 75 minutes of direct contact. Start and stop times required.
What it covers
A260 is a consultation in which the paediatrician provides all the elements of a paediatric consultation (A265) and spends at least 75 minutes in direct contact with the patient, not counting other separately billable services (A168).
The 75 minutes doesn't include non-patient-facing time such as reviewing charts or imaging, or documentation (A169).
Billing rules
- Start and stop times must be in the chart, or the service is not payable (A168).
- All consultation requirements apply: a written, signed request naming the referrer and billing number, kept in the chart, and a written report back. Otherwise it is paid as a lesser assessment (GP16).
- The consultation limits apply to time-based consultations like A260: same diagnosis, one per two consecutive 12-month periods (GP17, GP18).
- Detention (K001) can only start after 120 minutes (GP31).
- Patients under 16: specialist consultation age premium of 10% to 30% (GP64).
- Video only (with K300A), never telephone (AJ2). For hospital in-patients bill C260 (A173).
- Patients 18 or older: only if the paediatrician saw them in the 12 months before their 18th birthday, ongoing chronic care is needed and they are under 22, or with the Ministry's written approval (A168).
Common rejections
- AC4: The referring provider number was missing, mistyped, your own number, or from a provider type that can't refer for this code. Enter the referrer's six-digit number from the request.
Related codes: A265, A662, A667, A266, C260
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Paediatrics (26), pages A168 to A169; General Preamble GP16 to GP18 (consultations)
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