Billing code
W982A — Palliative Care Assessment - Specialist, chronic care/rehab
Chronic care palliative care visit
Bill as most responsible physician for a palliative care visit to a patient in a chronic care or convalescent hospital.
Watch for: Patients in a designated palliative care bed are billed as C882 or C982 instead.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $40.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
- Code
- W982A
- Description
- Palliative Care Assessment - Specialist, chronic care/rehab
- 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 chronic care or convalescent hospital.
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). W982 is the Community Medicine (05) code for these visits in a chronic care or convalescent hospital (A88).
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).
Related codes: W882, W972, C982, W052, K023
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Community Medicine (05), page A88; rules GP50.
APEX checks every paid claim against the Schedule of Benefits and flags codes billed below what the visit qualified for. See how APEX works · Pricing