E006A – Cancelled surgery - anaesthetic begun, surgeon scrubbed, no further action
OHIP Surgical Assists Code — SURGICAL PREAMBLE · Schedule of Benefits
When an anaesthetic has begun but the operation is cancelled due to a complication prior to commencement of surgery and the surgeon has scrubbed but is not required to do anything further, the service constitutes E006A. The amount payable is calculated by adding the time units to 6 basic units and multiplying by the surgical assistant's unit fee.
When to Use
- Use E006A when the patient is in the OR and anaesthesia has been induced, but the surgeon must abort the procedure before the incision is made due to an unforeseen patient complication.
- Use this code specifically when the surgeon has already scrubbed and is prepared to operate, distinguishing it from a pre-induction cancellation which must be billed as a hospital visit.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing E006A when the surgery was cancelled prior to the induction of anaesthesia, which will result in a rejection; use a hospital visit code instead.
- Failing to include the appropriate time units in the claim, as the payment is strictly calculated based on 6 basic units plus the time elapsed from the start of anaesthesia.
- Attempting to bill E006A for a procedure that was already underway; if the surgery commenced and was then stopped, you must submit for independent consideration under R990.
Billing Tips
- Ensure your claim includes the exact time units calculated per GP85, as the Ministry uses this to determine the final fee based on the surgical assistant's unit value.
- Maintain a clear record of the time anaesthesia began and the time the decision to cancel was made, as these timestamps are critical for audit verification of the time units claimed.
Effective: April 1, 2025
SP. Surgical Preamble
SURGICAL PREAMBLE
Procedure
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures
For the purpose of cancelled surgery, time units for the surgeon are calculated in the same way as time units for the surgical assistant (see General Preamble ).
Ready to bill this code?
SnapBill makes OHIP billing simple — auto-filled codes, validation, and batch submission.