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Billing code

K735A — Physician To Physician Telephone Consultation - Consultant Physician (physician On Duty In An Emergency Department Or A Hospital Urgent Care Clinic)

ED phone consult, consultant

Bill K735 when, on duty in an ED or urgent care clinic, you give a referring physician your opinion by phone, with 10+ minutes' discussion.

Watch for: Put the referrer's provider number on the claim; not payable if you see the patient that day or the next.

Code

K735A

Description

Physician To Physician Telephone Consultation - Consultant Physician (physician On Duty In An Emergency Department Or A Hospital Urgent Care Clinic)

FHO+ basket

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

Effective date

Apr 1, 2026

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Physician-to-physician telephone consultation, consultant, while on duty in an emergency department or hospital urgent care clinic.

What it covers

K735 is the consultant's fee for a physician-to-physician telephone consultation when the consultant is on duty in an emergency department or hospital urgent care clinic (A42, A43). Off duty, the consultant bills K731 (A42).

The referring physician or nurse practitioner asks for your opinion because of the complexity, seriousness or obscurity of the case and keeps caring for the patient. You must review the relevant data and give an opinion or recommendations. The General Preamble consultation rules don't apply (A42).

Billing rules

• At least 10 minutes of patient-related discussion; time on the same day with the same physicians for the same patient can be added up (A43, A44).
• Both physicians must be physically in Ontario (A43).
• Maximum one K731 or K735 per patient per day (A43).
• Not payable if the call is to arrange a transfer of care; to arrange a consultation, visit, K-prefix time-based service, procedure or test; or mainly to discuss test results (A43).
• Not payable if you give the patient a consultation, assessment, visit or K-prefix time-based service the same day or next day (A43).
• Chart the patient's name and health number, start and stop times, both physicians' names, the reason and your opinion and recommendations (A44).
• Include the referring physician's or nurse practitioner's provider number on the claim (A44).
• Not payable if you are paid other than fee-for-service for taking part (A43).

Common rejections

• ARF: OHIP's message is 'Missing Physician Referring Number': K735 must include the referrer's provider number (A44).

Related codes: K734, K730, K731, K733, K737, K738, K739

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), page A42; rules A42–A44.

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