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Billing code

A888A — Emergency Department Equivalent

Weekend walk-in emergency visit

Bill A888 for an emergency assessment at a walk-in, urgent care or similar clinic on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

Watch for: A888 must be the only fee code for the service; no premiums, counselling or hypnotherapy that day.

Code

A888A

Description

Emergency Department Equivalent

FHO+ basket

Not in the FHO+ base rate basket (Schedule 2 or 2B).

Effective date

Apr 1, 2026

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Partial assessment for an emergency in a walk-in, urgent care or similar emergency department equivalent, on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

What it covers

A888 is an assessment rendered in an emergency department equivalent on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday to deal with an emergency (A5).

An emergency department equivalent is an office or other place, such as an urgent care centre, walk-in clinic or extended hours clinic (but not a hospital emergency department), where the only insured services are for patients without pre-arranged appointments (GP3). A888 uses its own holiday list, which counts December 25 to 31 inclusive (GP3).

Billing rules

• For this service, A888 is the only fee code payable (A5).
• No premiums are payable for a service rendered in an emergency department equivalent (A5).
• Special visit premiums are never payable with A888 (GP3, GP65).
• Hypnotherapy or counselling to the same patient by the same physician on the same day is not payable (A5).
• A888 is not on the Appendix J list, so it can't be billed by video or telephone (A68, AJ1, AJ2).
• A888 applies only on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (A5).

Often billed with

• FHO: A888A is one of the codes eligible for the Q012A after-hours premium for enrolled patients, with Q012A on the claim (Agreement p.68; OMA Q-codes p.8).

Common rejections

• VJ7: OHIP received the claim more than three months after the service date (GP9). If it was first sent on time, use the stale-dated process.
• EH2: The health card version code doesn't match the Ministry's record. Get the current version code and resubmit.
• ADM: OHIP's description is 'emergency equivalent/other visits'. A888 must be the only fee code for the service, with no counselling or hypnotherapy that day (A5), so check what else was billed for the patient that day.
• EH4: The patient's OHIP coverage had ended before the service date. Confirm the health number, then the coverage.
• V22: The diagnostic code isn't a valid OHIP code. Replace it with the three-digit code for the main reason for the visit.

Related codes: A007, A001, Q888, Q012

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), page A5; General Preamble GP3 (definitions of emergency department equivalent and holiday)

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