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Billing code

Q888A — Weekend & Holiday Access for FHO Patients

FHO weekend and holiday access

FHO physicians bill Q888A for unscheduled Saturday, Sunday or holiday visits by any patient enrolled in the FHO.

Watch for: Scheduled visits in those blocks are billed with the usual fee codes, not Q888A.

Code

Q888A

Description

Weekend & Holiday Access for FHO Patients

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

FHO code for unscheduled Saturday, Sunday or holiday visits by an FHO physician for any patient enrolled in the FHO.

What it covers

Q888A is the weekend and holiday access code for Family Health Organization physicians (AQ2). It is submitted for unscheduled visits on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays, and covers any patient enrolled to the FHO, not only the physician's own roster (Agreement p.73 §11.10).

Appendix Q is for information only and is not part of the Schedule (AQ1). The rules below come from the April 2026 FHO agreement (FHO+ payment terms from April 1, 2026). The 2020 OMA Q-codes guide doesn't describe Q888A.

Billing rules

• FHO physicians only (AQ2).
• Only for unscheduled visits on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays (Agreement p.73 §11.10).
• To be eligible, the FHO must offer at least three scheduled visits in each three-hour evening or weekend block or Recognized Holiday (Agreement p.73 §11.10).
• Scheduled visits in those blocks are billed with the usual fee codes and can't be claimed as Q888A (Agreement p.73 §11.10).
• Appendix Q and the FHO agreement list different payment values for Q888A; the remittance advice shows the value in force (AQ2; Agreement p.73 §11.10).

Often billed with

• Q012A after-hours premium: the FHO agreement lists Q888A among the codes that earn the after-hours premium for enrolled patients during Evening and Weekend Hours and Recognized Holidays, with Q012A on the claim (Agreement p.68 §8.12).

Common rejections

• EPA: Q888A is payable only to FHO physicians; EPA means OHIP doesn't show the physician approved to bill it under the billing number and group used on the service date.
• EH2: The health card version code on the claim doesn't match OHIP's record for the patient; get the current version code and resubmit.
• VJ7: OHIP received the claim more than three months after the service date, so it was rejected as stale-dated.
• V22: The diagnostic code on the claim isn't a valid OHIP diagnostic code; replace it with a code from the Ministry's list.
• V21: The Ministry's description for V21 is 'diagnostic code required', so the claim went without one; add the diagnosis for the visit.

Related codes: Q012, A007, A001

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Appendix Q (information only), Weekend & Holiday Access for FHO Patient, page AQ2

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