Billing code
W872A — Palliative Care Assessment - GP, LTC
Nursing home palliative care visit
Bill as most responsible physician for a palliative care visit to a nursing home or home for the aged patient.
Watch for: Not payable when you bill W010 that month; patients in designated palliative care beds are C882 or C982.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
- Code
- W872A
- Description
- Palliative Care Assessment - GP, LTC
- 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
Visit by the most responsible physician to give palliative care to a patient in a nursing home or home for the aged.
What it covers
A palliative care assessment is any routine assessment by the MRP to provide palliative care, for a patient who is not in a designated palliative care bed (GP50). W872 is the Family Practice code for these visits in a nursing home or home for the aged (A19).
Palliative care means care for a terminally ill patient in the final year of life, with no aggressive treatment of the underlying disease and care aimed at comfort until death (GP5).
Billing rules
- Rendered by the MRP (GP50).
- Patients in a designated palliative care bed, in any type of facility, are billed as C882 or C982 instead (GP50).
- Not palliative care when a patient dies unexpectedly after a long stay for an unrelated diagnosis (GP50).
- Included in W010: not payable when the MRP bills W010 for that month (GP51, GP52).
- For 20 minutes or more of palliative support, K023 may be billed instead (A2; OMA palliative guide p.9).
- FHO: a Schedule 2A code (Agreement p.86) and counts toward the palliative care special payment (Agreement p.66 §8.6).
Related codes: W882, C882, W010, K023, W777, W972
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), page A19; rules GP50.
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