E475 – Portable ultrasound
OHIP Surgical Assists Code — DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND · Schedule of Benefits
Portable ultrasound, only eligible for payment when personally rendered by a specialist in diagnostic radiology (33) in an area of a hospital outside of the diagnostic imaging department. The service is payable on a per unit basis, where a unit means ¼ hour or major part thereof. Time-keeping requirements as per the General Preamble must be followed.
When to Use
- Use E475 when performing a bedside ultrasound in an ICU or ward setting where the patient cannot be transported to the diagnostic imaging department.
- Use E475 for intraoperative ultrasound procedures performed by a radiologist within the operating room suite.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing E475 for scans performed within the diagnostic imaging department, which is strictly prohibited by the code definition.
- Failure to document the exact start and end times in the patient's record, which is mandatory for all time-based codes under the General Preamble.
- Billing E475 for ultrasound interpretations performed via PACS or teleradiology, as this code requires the physical presence of the radiologist at the bedside.
Billing Tips
- Ensure the total units claimed reflect only the time spent personally rendering the scan, excluding administrative or reporting time, as per the General Preamble definition of a unit.
- When applicable, append the appropriate age-based premium (e.g., AGE_PREMIUM_UNDER_30_DAYS) to E475 to maximize the claim value for pediatric patients.
Effective: April 1, 2025
G. Diagnostic Ultrasound
DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND
Diagnostic
Diagnostic Ultrasound, Diagnostic
As a time-based service, the physician must record the time the service started and ended in the patient's permanent medical record.
E475 is payable on a per unit basis. Unit means ¼ hour or major part thereof - see General Preamble : for definitions and time-keeping requirements.
Ready to bill this code?
SnapBill makes OHIP billing simple — auto-filled codes, validation, and batch submission.