< Billing codes

Billing code

K001A — Detention, per 15 minutes or major part thereof

Detention time

Bill K001 per 15 minutes when you spend considerable extra time treating or monitoring the patient after another service's minimum time has passed.

Watch for: Record start and stop times and send a written explanation; waiting time doesn't count, and it isn't payable with diagnostic or surgical procedures.

Code

K001A

Description

Detention, per 15 minutes or major part thereof

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, 2025

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Detention: extra time in active treatment or monitoring after another service, per 15 minutes, once the service's minimum time has passed.

What it covers

Detention is payable after another insured service when the physician has to spend considerable extra time in active treatment or monitoring of the patient, to the exclusion of all other work. It is billed in 15-minute units or major part thereof, and its specific elements are those of assessments (GP29).

Detention starts only after a minimum time for the service it follows: 30 minutes for a minor, intermediate or partial assessment or subsequent hospital visit; 40 minutes for a specific or general re-assessment; 60 minutes for a consultation or general assessment; longer for special and comprehensive consultations (GP30-GP31).

Billing rules

• Time units start after the minimum time for the preceding assessment or consultation has passed (GP31).
• Not payable with diagnostic procedures, obstetrics, or therapeutic procedures whose fee includes an assessment, such as non-IOP surgery (GP31).
• Not payable for time spent waiting (GP31).
• Not payable for the same patient the same day as A190, A191, A192, A195, A197, A198, A695, A795 or A895 (GP31).
• Assessed by a medical consultant on an independent consideration basis; submit a written explanation with the claim (GP31).
• Record the start and stop times in the chart, or the units aren't payable (GP7).
• In an ambulance, bill K101 (ground) or K111 (air) instead; K001 may apply to attendance in another kind of vehicle (GP32).
• FHO: K001A is a Schedule 2 core service, in basket (Agreement p.79).

Often billed with

• The assessment it follows, for example A007 after 30 minutes or A003 after 60 minutes (GP30).

Related codes: K101, K111, K112, K102, A007, A003

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), General Preamble, Assessments, Detention, pages GP29-GP31; time rules GP7; ambulance detention GP32.

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