What is OHIP billing code N551?

N551 is "Excision spinous process - sole procedure", an OHIP Otolaryngology code from the Ontario Schedule of Benefits (Physician Services).

How much does N551 pay?

The current OHIP fee for N551 is $229.50, effective 2025-04-01, per the Ontario Schedule of Benefits.

How do I bill N551 to OHIP?

N551 is submitted through OHIP's MCEDT claims system, either directly or via billing software. SnapBill validates N551 claims against the Schedule of Benefits rules before submission.

What codes are related to N551?

Codes related to N551 in the Schedule of Benefits include N546, N547, N552.

All codes

N551

N551 – Excision spinous process - sole procedure

OHIP Otolaryngology Code — SPINAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES · Schedule of Benefits

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Excision of a spinous process, performed as a sole procedure. Per the note on page , this service is not eligible for payment when rendered with any other service in the Spinal Surgical Procedures section, such as open vertebral biopsy (N546, N547) or excision of a transverse process (N552).

When to Use

Use N551 when performing an isolated excision of a spinous process as the sole surgical procedure during the encounter.
Use this code for targeted spinous process removal where no other spinal procedures, such as biopsies (N546, N547) or transverse process excisions (N552), are performed.

Common Pitfalls

Billing N551 alongside any other code from the Spinal Surgical Procedures section will trigger an automatic rejection due to the 'sole procedure' restriction.
Attempting to unbundle N551 with N552 or N546/N547 in the same operative session is a common audit risk and will result in non-payment.

Billing Tips

Ensure that no other spinal procedure codes are submitted on the same claim, as N551 is strictly defined as a sole procedure and is ineligible for payment if combined with other spinal section services.

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Provider Fee$229.50

Surgical Assistant Fee$75.06

Anaesthetist Fee$92.94

Non-Anaesthetist Fee$92.94

Effective: April 1, 2025

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