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Billing code

W771A — Certification of death - subject to same conditions as A771

LTC death certificate

Bill for completing the death certificate of a long-term care patient pronounced dead by someone else.

Watch for: Use the underlying cause of death as the diagnostic code; it pays nil with A902, A777 or C777.

Code

W771A

Description

Certification of death - subject to same conditions as A771

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

Completing the death certificate for a long-term care patient pronounced dead by someone else. Same conditions as A771.

What it covers

Certification of death pays the physician who personally completes the death certificate for a patient pronounced dead by another physician, a resident or another authorized health professional. It may include counselling relatives at the same visit (A7).

W771 is the long-term care version, subject to the same conditions as A771 (A19).

Billing rules

• Include the diagnostic code for the underlying cause of death on the death certificate (A7).
• Payable at nil when done with A902, A777 or C777 (A7).
• Included in W010 for that month unless done with a special visit (GP51).
• FHO: a Schedule 2A code for enrolled LTC patients (Agreement p.86).

Related codes: A771, C771, W777, W010, A777

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Consultations and Visits, Family Practice & Practice in General (00), page A19; conditions A7.

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