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Billing code

G489A — Venipuncture - Adult - 16+ years

Blood draw, adolescent or adult

Bill G489 for venipuncture in a patient aged 16 or older; add G700 when the blood draw is the only reason for the visit.

Watch for: Check the date of birth: patients under 16 reject, so bill G482 for children and G480 for infants.

Code

G489A

Description

Venipuncture - Adult - 16+ years

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

Venipuncture for an adolescent or adult (age 16 and over). Add G700 when the blood draw is the only reason for the visit.

What it covers

G489 is venipuncture for an adolescent or adult (J7). The Schedule defines an adolescent as 16 or 17 years old and an adult as 18 or older (GP2).

Younger patients have their own codes: G482 for a child (2 to 15 years) and G480 for an infant (29 days to under 2 years) (GP2, J7). Therapeutic venisection is G483 (J7).

Billing rules

• Use G489 only for patients 16 and over; use G482 or G480 for younger patients (GP2, J7).
• Not insured when done to monitor adverse effects of a calorie-restricted weight-loss program (J7).
• Marked (+): add G700 when venipuncture is the sole reason for the visit, once per patient per day (J3).
• G700 is not payable in hospital, and is paid at 15% for patients enrolled to a capitation-based group (J3).
• 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).
• Payable on the same day as a counselling service by the same physician (GP58).
• For a nursing home or home for the aged patient under W010 monthly management, venipuncture by any physician that month is included in W010 (GP51).
• FHO: a Schedule 2 core (in-basket) service (Agreement p.78).

Often billed with

• G700 when the blood draw is the only reason for the visit (J3).
• An assessment such as A007 when blood is drawn during a regular visit; no G700 then (J3).

Common rejections

• A2A: G489 is for patients 16 and over (GP2, J7), so a younger patient, or a wrong date of birth, rejects; bill G482 or G480 for children and infants.
• VJ7: OHIP received the claim more than three months after the service date, so it was rejected as stale-dated (GP9).
• 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.
• R02: OHIP describes this as 'Invalid HSN': the health number on the claim failed OHIP's check; compare it with the patient's card.

Related codes: G482, G480, G483, G700

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures, Cardiovascular — Venipuncture, page J7

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