Billing code
R010A — Malignant Melanoma - Wide Excision In Any Area And Must Include > 1 Cm Margins And Layered Closure
Melanoma wide excision
Bill R010 for wide excision of a malignant melanoma in any area, with margins over 1 cm and layered closure.
Watch for: Keep the pathologist's report in the patient's record, or OHIP pays a lesser fee.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $135.95 | $0.00 | $77.46 | $111.72 | $111.72 |
- Code
- R010A
- Description
- Malignant Melanoma - Wide Excision In Any Area And Must Include > 1 Cm Margins And Layered Closure
- 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
Wide excision of a malignant melanoma in any area, with margins over 1 cm and layered closure.
What it covers
R010 is wide excision of malignant melanoma in any area; it must include margins greater than 1 cm and layered closure (M6).
For sentinel node biopsy see Z427 (M6).
Billing rules
- Margins over 1 cm and layered closure are required (M6).
- Keep the pathologist's report in the patient's record, or OHIP pays a lesser fee (M6).
- Add E540 (+25%) when the excision is done in hospital for tumour-free margins with frozen section (M6).
- If the excision defect is closed by an advancement flap with more than 2.5 cm undermining per side, a rotation, transposition or Z-plasty, or another flap or graft, claim the Skin Flaps and Grafts code instead of the excision code; S-plasty counts as simple excision (M6, M17).
- Multiple procedures under the same anaesthetic: full fee for the major procedure, 85% for the others (SP2 §3).
- Assistant units are listed: a surgical assistant claims with suffix B (SP5 §21, GP85).
- Age premiums apply to surgical procedures for children: +30% under 30 days down to +10% for ages 5 to 15 (GP64).
Often billed with
- E540 for frozen-section margin control in hospital (M6).
- Z427 sentinel node biopsy (M6).
- A flap code such as R011 or R045 when the defect needs flap closure (M6, M17).
Related codes: R048, R094, R081, Z427, E540, R011, R045
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Integumentary System Surgical Procedures, Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue, page M6.
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