What is OHIP billing code E683?

E683 is "Thoracoscopic, VATS, robotic-assisted, or uniportal approach premium", an OHIP Surgical Assists code from the Ontario Schedule of Benefits (Physician Services).

How much does E683 pay?

E683 is a percentage premium: it adds 35% to the fee of the eligible service it is billed with, per the Ontario Schedule of Benefits.

How do I bill E683 to OHIP?

E683 is submitted through OHIP's MCEDT claims system, either directly or via billing software. SnapBill validates E683 claims against the Schedule of Benefits rules before submission.

What codes are related to E683?

Codes related to E683 in the Schedule of Benefits include M106, M108, M142, M143, M144, M145, M149, M151.

All codes

E683

E683 – Thoracoscopic, VATS, robotic-assisted, or uniportal approach premium

OHIP Surgical Assists Code — RESPIRATORY SURGICAL PROCEDURES · Schedule of Benefits

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The full description incorrectly lists the following codes as eligible for E683, which were not found to be explicitly linked on the reviewed SOB pages: M142, M143, M144, M145, M149, M151, S095, S096, S097, S098, S099. The eligible codes found are M106, M108, S087, S089, S090, S093, S100, S161, S797.

When to Use

Use E683 when performing a VATS or robotic-assisted lobectomy (S087, S089) to capture the premium for the minimally invasive approach.
Apply E683 when performing a thoracoscopic wedge resection (S090) or similar thoracic procedure listed in the eligible code set to account for the specialized surgical technique.
Use E683 when performing a uniportal VATS approach for eligible thoracic procedures, as it is explicitly recognized under the premium's scope.

Common Pitfalls

Billing E683 with codes like M142-M151 or S095-S099 will result in automatic rejection, as these are not currently linked to the E683 premium in the Schedule of Benefits.
Attempting to stack E683 with E676A is a billing error, as E676A explicitly excludes thoracoscopy and endoscopic techniques from its eligibility criteria.
Failing to verify the specific procedure code against the current eligible list (M106, M108, S087, S089, S090, S093, S100, S161, S797) often leads to claims being rejected for invalid premium-procedure combinations.

Billing Tips

Ensure E683 is submitted on the same claim as the primary surgical procedure code to ensure the percentage increase is applied correctly to the base fee.
When performing multiple procedures, remember that the 85% rule applies to secondary procedures, which may impact the total value of the E683 premium calculation.

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Percentage Premium: 0.35%

This code applies a percentage increase to the base procedure fee

Provider Fee$0.01

Effective: September 1, 2011

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