1What Is the C270 OHIP Code?
C270 is an OHIP billing code used by infectious disease specialists to deliver complex infectious disease assessments in non-emergency hospital in-patient settings. This code is particularly relevant for patients with intricate medical needs, such as those with complex prosthetic device infections or persistent bacteraemia, where ongoing infectious disease management is essential.
Given its application, C270 often involves comprehensive evaluation and decision-making processes to address challenging infectious conditions that require a deeper understanding of patient history and treatment impacts.
Physicians can occasionally overlook this billing code when a complex assessment is performed, either due to a lack of clarity on its applicability or due to miscommunication about the required documentation, such as the exact times of service delivery needed for billing compliance.
2Related Codes
| Code | Name | Frequency | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A270 | A270 Complex infectious disease assessment | Subject to the same conditions as C270 | The corresponding outpatient code for complex infectious disease assessments. |
| A275 | A275 Limited consultation | Unlimited within infectious disease specialty rules | For less intensive consultations within infectious disease. |
| A460 | A460 Comprehensive infectious disease consultation | Unlimited within infectious disease specialty rules | Used for comprehensive consultations requiring significant resources. |
| A465 | A465 Consultation | Unlimited within infectious disease specialty rules | General consultation for infectious disease cases. |
3Eligibility Requirements
The C270 code is applicable for non-emergency hospital in-patient services under the infectious disease specialty. Physicians are limited under this code to a maximum of six assessments per patient, per physician, over a 12-month period. Any services exceeding this limit will be adjusted to a lesser assessment fee. Specifically, C270 must include all the elements of a specific assessment; otherwise, fees will be adjusted accordingly. Importantly, start and stop times must be recorded in the patient's permanent medical record for the service to be billable.
In virtual care settings, C270 can only be billed through video consultations, coded as C270A. Telephone consultations are not eligible under this code for virtual delivery. For further details, refer to General Preamble sections GP40 to GP48 and GP65 to GP78.
4What Your Clinical Note Must Show
The precise times when the service started and ended must be recorded in the patient's permanent medical record.
- Ensure both start and stop times are documented clearly.
- Use a consistent format for recording times for every patient.
5Weak vs. Strong Note Examples
The strong note provides detailed documentation of the assessment's duration and specific findings, aligning with OHIP's documentation requirements, unlike the weak note.
Conducted assessment for complex infection.
Discussed treatment options; will monitor progress.
Initiated complex infectious disease assessment at 09:00, concluded at 10:00.
Reviewed patient's history of prosthetic device infections.
Conducted thorough evaluation revealing persistent bacteraemia.
- Detailed examination of treatment responses.
- Outlined specific next steps in patient management plan.
