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Billing code

Z399A — Duodenoscopy (not To Be Claimed If Z399 And/or Z400 Performed On Same Patient Within 3 Months)

Elective upper endoscopy

Bill for an elective oesophagoscopy-gastroscopy, with or without duodenoscopy; extra work during the scope uses the listed add-on codes.

Watch for: For active bleeding bill Z400; laryngoscopy Z292 at the same time needs suspected laryngeal disease and a written explanation.

Code

Z399A

Description

Duodenoscopy (not To Be Claimed If Z399 And/or Z400 Performed On Same Patient Within 3 Months)

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

Elective upper endoscopy: oesophagoscopy-gastroscopy, with or without duodenoscopy.

What it covers

Z399 is an elective oesophagoscopy-gastroscopy, with or without duodenoscopy (S7). The same procedure for active bleeding is Z400 (S7).

Extra work during the scope, such as multiple biopsies, polypectomy, dilatation, bleeding control, mucosal resection or Barrett's ablation, is billed with the add-on codes listed under it (S7).

Billing rules

• Duodenoscopy Z560 can't be claimed if Z399 or Z400 was done for the same patient within 3 months (S15).
• No assistant fee is payable (Asst nil); anaesthesia is 4 basic units (S7).
• Laryngoscopy Z292 at the same time is not payable unless done for suspected laryngeal disease; those claims go to manual review with a written explanation (S8, S11).
• Patients under 16 get an age premium of 10% to 30% (GP64).
• It is a Z-code (IOP): if you made the decision to scope at a visit in the past 12 months, only a partial assessment (specialist) or minor assessment (family physician) is payable that day before it (SP4 §13).

Often billed with

• E702 for 3 or more biopsies of a specific lesion, E703 and E799 for snare polypectomy of polyps over 1 cm (S7).
• E797 or E798 for management of upper GI bleeding (S7).
• E836 for endoscopic mucosal resection of a lesion over 3 cm, maximum 2 per day; E813 for radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's oesophagus (S7, S8).
• E696 or E698 for dilatation, E690 for foreign body removal (S7).

Related codes: Z400, Z515, Z527, Z560, E702, E703, E836, E813

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Digestive System Surgical Procedures, Oesophagus, page S7.

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