Billing code
C986A — Weekend/holiday in-patient special visit premium, first patient
Weekend call premium, first patient
Add for the first in-patient seen on a non-elective call on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, 07:00 to 24:00.
Watch for: Bill with the A-prefix General Listings assessment and record the visit time; not for patients seen on rounds.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $77.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
- Code
- C986A
- Description
- Weekend/holiday in-patient special visit premium, first patient
- 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
Hospital in-patient special visit premium for the first patient seen on a non-elective call, Saturday, Sunday or holiday, 07:00 to 24:00.
What it covers
C986 is the first person seen premium in Special Visit Premium Table III, Hospital In-Patient, for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 07:00 to 24:00 (GP72). Holidays are defined on GP3.
On a weekend or holiday, the first person seen premium doesn't depend on a travel premium; it can apply even when the physician only moves within the same hospital (GP66).
Billing rules
- Maximum 20 per time period, counting first and additional persons (C986 and C987) together (GP72).
- A special visit is one initiated by the patient, or someone on their behalf, for a non-elective service (GP65).
- Not payable for patients seen on rounds, or with the admission assessment of an elective admission (GP65).
- Not payable with H-prefix emergency department codes or for a visit with critical care team fees (GP65).
- Bill the A-prefix assessment from the General Listings, such as A933 or A003, and record the time of the visit (GP69).
- C963 travel premium applies only when you travel from another location, not within the same hospital complex or campus; maximum 6 per time period (GP66, GP72).
Often billed with
- A933 on-call admission assessment for a non-elective admission where you become the MRP (A7).
- E082 adds 30% to the admission assessment only; it doesn't apply to the special visit premium (GP42).
- C987 for each further in-patient seen on the same call (GP66, GP72).
Related codes: C987, C963, C990, C994, C996, A933, E082
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), General Preamble, Special Visit Premiums, pages GP65 to GP69 and Table III on GP72; holiday definition GP3
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