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Billing code

E088A — Congestive Heart Failure Premium - Add 50% For Virutal Services

Congestive heart failure premium

Add to a cardiologist's office or out-patient clinic assessment of a patient with established congestive heart failure.

Watch for: Bill with A603, A604, A601 or A608 and diagnostic code 428; not for in-patients or emergency patients.

ProviderSpecialistAssistantAnaesthetistNon-anaesthetist
$0.00$0.01$0.00$0.00$0.00
Code
E088A
Description
Congestive Heart Failure Premium - Add 50% For Virutal Services
FHO+ basket
Not in the FHO+ base rate basket (Schedule 2 or 2B).
Effective date
Apr 1, 2023
Termination date
No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Premium added to a cardiologist's office or out-patient clinic assessment of a patient with established congestive heart failure.

What it covers

The congestive heart failure premium is added to an assessment by a cardiology specialist (60) when the assessment is a medical specific assessment, medical specific re-assessment, complex medical specific re-assessment or partial assessment (A79).

The assessment must be in an office or a hospital out-patient clinic (not an emergency department), and the patient must have an established diagnosis of congestive heart failure documented in the chart (A79).

Billing rules

  • Only with A603, A604, A601 or A608 by a cardiologist (A79).
  • Not payable for hospital in-patients, LTC patients or patients seen in an emergency department (A79).
  • Submit the claim with diagnostic code 428 (A80).
  • Payable on comprehensive virtual care services (A74).

Often billed with

  • A603, A604, A601 or A608 (A79).

Common rejections

  • AD9: 'Premium not allowed alone': E088 must be on the same claim as an eligible cardiology assessment (A79).
  • A4D: 'Invalid specialty for this service code': E088 is payable only to cardiology specialists (60) (A79).

Related codes: A603, A604, A601, A608, E078

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Cardiology (60), page A79–A80.

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