W882 – Palliative care
OHIP Neurology Code — CONSULTATIONS AND VISITS · Schedule of Benefits
A subsequent visit for the purpose of providing palliative care to a patient in a long-term care institution. The 'W' prefix designates this service for non-emergency in-patient services in settings such as chronic care hospitals, convalescent hospitals, nursing homes, and homes for the aged (, ). Palliative Care Definition: Palliative care is defined as care provided to a terminally ill patient in the final year of life where the decision has been made that there will be no aggressive treatment of the underlying disease and care is to be directed to maintaining the comfort of the patient until death occurs (). Service Requirements: - As a subsequent visit, it is a routine assessment following the patient's admission to the institution (). - This service applies specifically to patients who are not in a designated palliative care bed. Visits to patients in designated palliative care beds must be claimed using C882 or C982 (). - Services for patients whose unexpected death occurs after prolonged hospitalization for an unrelated diagnosis do not qualify as palliative care assessments ().
When to Use
- Use W882 for routine palliative care assessments in a long-term care institution when the patient is not in a designated palliative care bed.
- Use this code for patients in the final year of life where the clinical focus has shifted exclusively to comfort measures rather than curative treatment.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing W882 on the same day as W010 will result in a rejection, as monthly management fees are inclusive of palliative care visits.
- Attempting to bill W882 for patients in designated palliative care beds will result in audit flags; use C882 or C982 for those specific beds instead.
- Claiming W882 for patients with unexpected deaths following unrelated chronic hospitalizations is an audit risk, as these do not meet the definition of palliative care.
Billing Tips
- If you are the Most Responsible Physician (MRP) and meet the remuneration criteria, append the E083 premium to W882 to increase the fee by 30%.
- If an acute intercurrent illness arises during the palliative period, bill W121 for that specific visit instead of W882 to bypass monthly visit limits.
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