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Billing code

K730A — Referring Physician (Telephone Consultation)

Phone consult, referring physician

Bill K730 when you ask another physician's opinion by phone about a complex patient you'll keep caring for, with 10+ minutes' discussion.

Watch for: Not payable if the call arranges a transfer, consultation or test; chart both names, times and the advice received.

Code

K730A

Description

Referring Physician (Telephone Consultation)

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, 2026

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Telephone consultation, referring physician: you ask another physician's opinion by phone and keep caring for the patient. At least 10 minutes' discussion.

What it covers

K730 pays the referring physician or nurse practitioner who, knowing the patient, asks another physician by telephone for an opinion because of the complexity, seriousness or obscurity of the case. You must intend to continue the patient's care, treatment and management (A42).

It includes sending the relevant data (history, the presenting complaint, lab and diagnostic tests where feasible) and everything else you do to get the consultant's advice. The General Preamble consultation rules don't apply to telephone consultations (A42).

Billing rules

• Payable only if the consultant gives an opinion or recommendations for treatment or management (A42).
• Maximum one K730 or K734 per patient per day (A43).
• Needs at least 10 minutes of patient-related discussion, and both physicians must be physically in Ontario. The time can be the total of several calls with the same physicians about the same patient that day (A43, A44).
• Not payable to either physician if the call is to arrange a transfer of care, or in whole or in part to arrange a consultation, visit, K-prefix time-based service, procedure or test; if it is mainly to discuss test results; or if the consultant sees the patient for a consultation, assessment, visit or K-prefix time-based service the same day or the next day (A43).
• The chart must hold the patient's name and health number, start and stop times of the discussion, both physicians' names, the reason, and the consultant's opinion and recommendations, or the service isn't payable (A44).
• On duty in an emergency department or hospital urgent care clinic, bill K734 instead; K730 shouldn't be claimed there (A43).
• Not payable if you're paid other than fee-for-service (salary, primary care, stipend, APP or AFP) for the call (A43, A44).
• FHO: K730 is an in-basket core service (Agreement Schedule 2, p.79).

Often billed with

• A visit the same day, such as A007, which is payable in addition to K730 (A42). If that visit was virtual, the K301A or K300A indicator on the claim belongs to the visit; K730 isn't on the Appendix J list (A70, AJ1).
• K013 counselling the same day: K730 is one of the services payable with counselling (GP58).
• The consultant bills K731, which needs your provider number on the claim (A42, A44).
• FHO: Q012A on the claim triggers the after-hours premium only for the listed codes, such as A007A, for an enrolled patient; K730 isn't one of them, so no premium is paid on it (Agreement p.68, §8.12).

Common rejections

• EQ6: OHIP's description is 'referring provider number not registered with the Ministry'. K730 doesn't need a referring number (only the consultant's K731 must carry one, A44), so check or remove the number in the referring field.

Related codes: K731, K734, K732, K738, K739

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), Physician/Nurse Practitioner to Physician Telephone Consultation, pages A42 to A44; FHO Agreement 2026-04 Schedule 2, p.79

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