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Billing code

G420A — Ear Syringe, curette (only payable when medically necessary)

Ear syringing or wax removal

Bill G420 once for one or both ears when impacted wax causes hearing loss or must be removed to see the eardrum or canal.

Watch for: Bill one service per visit, not one per ear; not payable with Z906, Z907, Z908 or Z913.

Code

G420A

Description

Ear Syringe, curette (only payable when medically necessary)

FHO+ basket

Covered by the FHO+ base rate payment for enrolled patients, and shadow billed at 30% (50% for Schedule 2B procedures).

Effective date

Apr 1, 2025

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Ear syringing or extensive curetting/debridement, one or both ears, insured only for impacted wax with hearing loss or when needed to see the ear.

What it covers

G420 is ear syringing and/or extensive curetting or debridement, unilateral or bilateral (J97). One service covers one or both ears.

It is insured only when impacted ear wax causes hearing loss that hasn't responded to cerumenolytics, or when the wax must be removed right away to see the eardrum or ear canal for diagnosis or treatment (J97).

Billing rules

• Insured only for impacted wax with hearing loss unresponsive to topical cerumenolytics, or when immediate removal is medically necessary to visualize the tympanic membrane or canal (J97).
• Not payable in addition to Z906, Z907, Z908 or Z913 (J97).
• Marked (+): add G700 when G420 is the sole reason for the visit (J3, J97).
• May be delegated to a trained employee in your office, even when you are not on site, for your own patient; the chart must name who did it (GP62–GP63).
• FHO: a Schedule 2 core service (Agreement p.77) and one of the Schedule 4 office procedures that count toward the office procedures special payment (Agreement p.67 §8.7, p.93).

Often billed with

• G700 when ear syringing is the only reason for the visit (J3).
• An assessment such as A001 or A007 when the ear is treated during a regular visit; procedures are payable in addition to an assessment (J3).

Common rejections

• A3H: G420 covers one or both ears in a single service (J97), so billing more than one service for the same visit, for example one per ear, is a likely cause.
• EH2: The health card version code on the claim doesn't match OHIP's record, often because the patient has a newer card; get the current version code and resubmit.
• EH4: OHIP's record shows the patient's coverage ended before the service date; confirm the health number and service date, then the patient's coverage.
• VH8: The date of birth on the claim doesn't match OHIP's record for that health number; correct it and resubmit.

Related codes: G700, Z907, Z908, Z913, Z906, G403

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures, Otolaryngology, page J97

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