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Billing code

K733A — Consulting Physician (Critical Consultation)

CritiCall phone consult, consultant

Bill K733 when you give a referring physician or nurse practitioner phone advice on a patient's care or transfer in a CritiCall Ontario call.

Watch for: Put the referrer's provider number on the claim, or it's rejected; on ED duty, bill K737 instead.

Code

K733A

Description

Consulting Physician (Critical 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

CritiCall telephone consultation, consultant physician: giving advice by phone on a patient's care or transfer when CritiCall Ontario arranges the call.

What it covers

K733 is paid to the consultant physician for a telephone consultation arranged by CritiCall Ontario, where the referring physician or nurse practitioner asks for an opinion (A45).

It includes everything the consultant does to advise on patient management, and the consultant must review all relevant data provided by the referrer. The General Preamble consultation rules don't apply (A45).

Billing rules

• The call must be arranged by, and follow the requirements of, CritiCall Ontario (A46).
• The referring physician or nurse practitioner and the patient must be in Ontario at the time (A46).
• Maximum 1 K733 or K737 per physician per patient per day, and 3 (any combination) per patient per day (A45).
• If you are on duty in an emergency department or hospital urgent care clinic, bill K737 instead (A45).
• Include the referring physician's or nurse practitioner's provider number on the claim (A47).
• Chart that CritiCall arranged it, the patient's name and health number, the referrer and consultant, the reason, and your opinion and recommendations (A46).
• Not payable if you are paid other than fee-for-service for taking part (A46).
• If more than one consultant joins the same call, each may claim within the limits (A47).

Often billed with

• E150 review of complex neuroimaging, for neurosurgery (04) or neurology (18) only (A45, A46).

Common rejections

• ARF: OHIP's message is 'Missing Physician Referring Number': K733 must include the referrer's provider number (A47).

Related codes: K732, K736, K737, E150, K731, K735

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), page A45; rules A45–A47.

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