E977 – Excision for tumour free margin with frozen section
OHIP Surgical Assists Code — OCULAR SURGICAL PROCEDURES · Schedule of Benefits
This is a percentage-based premium code that adds 25% to the surgical fee for eligible excision or repair codes (E222, E223, E225, E226, E227, E228, E229, E300). It is applicable when the excision is performed in a hospital setting and includes intra-operative frozen section analysis to ensure tumour-free margins. This code modifies the primary surgical procedure fee and is not billed independently.
When to Use
- Use E977 when performing a Mohs-like excision for a suspected malignancy where immediate intra-operative frozen section analysis is required to verify clear margins before closure.
- Apply this premium when the primary procedure is an excision of a lid lesion (e.g., E222, E223) and the pathology lab provides real-time feedback to guide the extent of the resection.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing E977 without explicit mention of the frozen section analysis in the operative report will trigger an automatic rejection or audit recovery.
- Attempting to claim E977 for routine excisions where permanent sections are processed post-operatively rather than intra-operatively is a common billing error.
Billing Tips
- Ensure the primary surgical code (e.g., E222) is billed on the same claim as E977, as the 25% premium is calculated based on the fee of the associated excision code.
Percentage Premium: 0.25%
This code applies a percentage increase to the base procedure fee
Effective: July 1, 2013
Y. Ocular and Aural Surgical Procedures
OCULAR SURGICAL PROCEDURES
PercentageIncrease
Ocular and Aural Surgical Procedures
The use of frozen section analysis to confirm tumour-free margins must be documented in the operative or pathology report.
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