< Billing codes

Billing code

G600A — Neonatal intensive care, Level A – first day

NICU Level A, day 1

Bill G600 for the first day of Level A neonatal intensive care: full life support, ventilation and parenteral nutrition.

Watch for: Bill G603 or G604 instead when they apply; no other critical care codes are paid to you that day.

Code

G600A

Description

Neonatal intensive care, Level A – first day

FHO+ basket

Not in the FHO+ base rate basket (Schedule 2 or 2B).

Effective date

Apr 1, 2025

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

First-day team fee for Level A neonatal intensive care: full life support, ventilation and parenteral nutrition.

What it covers

Neonatal intensive care is constant or periodic attendance over one day to provide all aspects of care to intensive care patients. It includes the initial consultation or assessment, later assessments and monitoring, and procedures such as arterial, venous, CVP or urinary catheters, IV lines, blood gases, NG tube, endotracheal intubation, tracheal toilet, ventilation and all respiratory support (J33).

Level A is full life support including monitoring (invasive or non-invasive), ventilatory support and parenteral alimentation (all modalities). G600 is the first day; later days are G601 (J33).

Billing rules

• These are team fees for neonatologists, paediatricians and anaesthesiologists providing complete care; physicians-in-charge share one daily fee as if there were one physician (J30, J33).
• If the infant moves from one level to another (up or down), second-day fees apply (J33).
• Separately billable interventions can be claimed in addition (J33).
• While claiming NICU fees, no other critical care codes are paid to the same physician, and life-threatening or other critical care (G521–G523, G395, G391) is not paid that day (J26–J28, J30).
• Not for stabilized patients or those in the unit only for monitoring, unless otherwise stated (J30).
• If the baby was discharged from the unit more than 48 hours and is re-admitted, the first-day rate applies again (J30).
• G603 (sole newborn, low volume; max 25 per physician per fiscal year) or G604 (under 750 g or 26 weeks) are paid in place of G600 when they apply (J33).
• Add G556 for an ICU/NICU admission assessment done at night (00:00–07:00), once per admission (J35).

Often billed with

• G556 night-time NICU admission assessment (J35).

Related codes: G601, G603, G604, G610, G620, G556

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures, Critical Care, page J33.

APEX checks every paid claim against the Schedule of Benefits and flags codes billed below what the visit qualified for. See how APEX works · Pricing