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Billing code

C895A — In-patient consultation – psychiatry

Psychiatry in-patient consultation

Bill when a psychiatrist consults on a non-emergency hospital in-patient on the referral of a physician or nurse practitioner.

Watch for: Keep the signed written request and include the referrer's billing number, or it is refused or paid as a lesser assessment.

Code

C895A

Description

In-patient consultation – 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

Psychiatric consultation for a hospital in-patient (non-emergency), at the referral of a physician or nurse practitioner.

What it covers

A consultation is requested by a physician or nurse practitioner because of the complexity, seriousness or obscurity of the case, or because another opinion is requested. It includes the assessment and a written report (GP16).

C895 is the non-emergency hospital in-patient consultation in the psychiatry listings. For emergency calls or other special visits to in-patients, use A895 with the C-prefix special visit premium (A183, A186).

Billing rules

• Needs a written, signed request from a physician or nurse practitioner, kept in the chart, and a written report back, or it is paid as a lesser assessment (GP16).
• Same patient, same diagnosis: one consultation per two consecutive 12-month periods (a second is allowed for an in-patient or ED patient 12–24 months after the first); extras are paid as an assessment (GP17–GP18).
• If you are admitting the patient, the consultation is the admission assessment (GP40).
• K630 extension units start after 60 minutes (76 minutes for the first unit to be paid) (A185).
• Age premiums apply for patients under 16, from 10% to 30% by age (GP64).
• By video only, and for in-patients only if you aren't the MRP, no local physician with the expertise is available (documented by the referrer), and the referrer assessed the patient in person within the prior 30 days (Appendix J, A69).

Often billed with

• K630 psychiatric consultation extension (A185).
• E082 (+30%) when the consultation is the admission assessment and you are the most responsible physician (GP42).

Common rejections

• ARF: OHIP describes this as 'Missing Physician Referring Number'. A consultation is paid only on a written referral from a physician or nurse practitioner (GP16); enter the referrer's billing number.
• AT4: OHIP describes this as 'Modality Not Allowed': this code is on the video-only list, so it can't be billed with K301A (telephone) (Appendix J).

Related codes: A895, A195, C190, C395, C196, C193, K630

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Psychiatry (19), page A186; rules GP16–GP18.

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