J879 – LeVeen shunt patency
OHIP Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Code — NUCLEAR MEDICINE - IN VIVO · Schedule of Benefits
J879 is a nuclear medicine diagnostic procedure for assessing LeVeen shunt patency. The service is comprised of two components which are billed separately: - Technical Component (H fee): Claimed using J879B. - Professional Component (P fee): Claimed using J879C. As per (), the claim for the technical component should be submitted using the fee schedule code with the suffix B and the claim for the professional component should be submitted using the fee schedule code with a suffix C. The technical component fee is intended for the hospital or facility, while the professional component fee is for the physician's interpretation and report.
When to Use
- Use J879C when providing the professional interpretation and report for a nuclear medicine study specifically assessing the patency of a LeVeen peritoneal-venous shunt.
- Use J879B for the technical component when the facility or physician-owned clinic provides the equipment and radiopharmaceuticals for the shunt patency scan, provided the patient is not an in-patient.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing J879B for a patient who is admitted to the hospital within 24 hours of the procedure will result in a mandatory rejection under the global hospital diagnostic service rules.
- Attempting to bill J879B for services rendered within a hospital setting is a common audit trigger, as the technical component is intended for non-hospital facility settings.
- Failure to maintain documentation of the quality assurance process for the technical component (J879B) will lead to recovery of funds during a Ministry of Health audit.
Billing Tips
- Ensure the professional component (J879C) is submitted by the interpreting physician, while the technical component (J879B) is submitted by the facility owner or the physician responsible for the equipment and data acquisition.
- If performing the interpretation on a weekend or holiday, ensure you append the appropriate Special Visit Premium (e.g., C107) to the professional component (J879C) to maximize the claim value.
Effective: April 1, 2025
B. Nuclear Medicine - IN VIVO
NUCLEAR MEDICINE - IN VIVO
Diagnostic
Nuclear Medicine - IN VIVO, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures
The physician submitting a claim for the technical component is responsible for the complete quality assurance process for all elements of the technical component of the service, including data acquisition, reporting, and record keeping. The physician must be able to demonstrate the above upon request by the MOH.
Ready to bill this code?
SnapBill makes OHIP billing simple — auto-filled codes, validation, and batch submission.