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Billing code

A957A — Addiction Medicine - focused practice assessment

Addiction medicine focused assessment

Bill A957 for an assessment by a physician with added addiction medicine training, meeting at least intermediate assessment requirements.

Watch for: No other consultation, assessment, visit or counselling by you for the same patient that day; E079 isn't payable with it.

Code

A957A

Description

Addiction Medicine - focused practice assessment

FHO+ basket

Covered by the FHO+ base rate payment for enrolled patients, and shadow billed at 30% (50% for Schedule 2B procedures).

Effective date

Apr 1, 2026

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Addiction medicine focused practice assessment by a physician with added training in addiction medicine. No other visit or counselling that day.

What it covers

A focused practice assessment (FPA) is an assessment by a GP/FP physician with additional training or experience in a focused area, here addiction medicine (including methadone). It must meet at least all the requirements of an intermediate assessment (A9).

A957 may also be billed by a specialist with additional training or experience in addiction medicine. Physicians should be ready to show the ministry documentation of that training or experience (A10).

Billing rules

• No other consultation, assessment, visit or counselling service is payable to the same physician for the same patient on the same day (A10).
• E079 smoking cessation initial discussion is not payable with any FPA (A10).
• Patients aged 65 or older: paid with a 15% age premium (GP64).
• Can be billed by video or telephone as comprehensive virtual care with an existing relationship; add K300A or K301A, and telephone pays 85% (AJ1, A70). An A957 by video counts as an existing relationship for follow-up virtual care in the next 24 months (A66, A67).
• Detention (K001) can only start after 30 minutes of a focused practice assessment (GP30).
• FHO: A957A is an in-basket core service (Agreement Schedule 2, p.75).

Often billed with

• K300A or K301A modality indicator when the assessment is done by video or phone (A70).

Related codes: A680, K680, K682, K683, K039, A917, A967, A007

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), Focused practice assessment, pages A9 to A10

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