E031 – General anaesthesia or deep sedation for nerve block procedures
OHIP Surgical Assists Code · Schedule of Benefits
General anaesthesia or deep sedation rendered by an anaesthesiologist in support of services performed by another physician listed in Nerve Blocks for Acute Pain Management, Interventional Pain Injections or the Peripheral/Other Nerve Block sections of the Schedule.
When to Use
- Use E031C when providing deep sedation or general anaesthesia for patients undergoing complex nerve blocks under J70-J73, J76, or J79-J82 where the patient's clinical status necessitates a higher level of care than procedural sedation (E030C).
- Apply this code when the procedure requires an anaesthesiologist to manage the airway or ventilation during interventional pain injections that would otherwise be ineligible for standard anaesthesia fees.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing E031C alongside G246, G117, G119, or G918 will trigger a rejection as these epidural and spinal injections are specifically restricted from anaesthesia fee claims.
- Attempting to add premium units (GP97) to E031C is a common error; the Schedule explicitly prohibits these extra units for this specific anaesthesia code.
- Submitting E031C when the performing physician is the same individual providing the anaesthesia will result in an automatic audit flag or rejection.
Billing Tips
- Ensure the clinical documentation clearly supports the necessity of deep sedation or general anaesthesia over procedural sedation (E030C) to justify the higher-level service code.
- Verify that the primary procedure code falls strictly within the J70-J73, J76, or J79-J82 ranges before submitting E031C to avoid invalid service code rejections.
Effective: April 1, 2026
Anaesthesia
Premium
Deep Sedation is defined as a drug-induced depression of consciousness where patients cannot be easily aroused but respond purposefully to repeated or painful stimulation; airway/ventilation may be impaired.
General Anaesthesia is defined as a drug-induced loss of consciousness where patients are not arousable; airway/ventilation is often impaired and may require assistance.
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