Annual billing limit triples for telephone-consult fee
Physicians who have billed 14070 (or 14071 for locums) and are billing A GP for Me fee codes are likely aware that they can bill for telephone management consultations with patients using fee code 14076. Retroactive to 1 January 2014, the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC) has raised the limit for telephone consultations from 500 calls per year to 1500 calls per physician practice per calendar year.
These telephone consultations are an efficient way to connect with patients as an alternative to a face-to-face visit and can help increase capacity in physician practices.
The billing limit for the telephone or e-mail follow-up management fee (14079) remains unchanged at five per calendar year for any patient for whom one of the portal planning-related fees (14033, 14043, 14053, 14063, or 14075) has been billed for complex care, mental health care, palliative care planning, or COPD chronic disease management. For patients who are eligible for 14079, it is advisable to use this first, saving the 14076 fee for other patients who would benefit from telephone visits.
For more information on this and other GPSC fee codes see the GPSC billing guide at www.gpscbc.ca/billing-guide-fees.