Error code
EQ3 — Billed as Pay Patient, but provider is opted in
Should be pay provider
The claim was sent as pay patient, but the Ministry shows you were opted in on the service date.
What to do: Change the payee to P (pay provider), fix your billing software's default, and resubmit.
- Code
- EQ3
- Description
- Billed as Pay Patient, but provider is opted in
Explanation
Updated October 26, 2026
EQ3: the claim was sent as pay patient, but you are registered as opted in on that date. Change the payee to pay provider and resubmit.
What it means
Every OHIP claim says who gets paid: the provider (payee P) or the patient (payee S). Opted-in physicians bill OHIP directly and are paid themselves. EQ3 means the claim was sent as pay patient, but the Ministry's records show you were registered as opted in on the service date, so the claim was rejected.
Common causes
- The payee field on the claim was set to S (pay patient) by mistake
- A billing software default or template set the wrong payee
- Your registration status with OHIP is not what you expect
How to fix it
- Check the payee on the rejected claim.
- If you are opted in, change the payee to P (pay provider).
- Fix the default in your billing software so new claims go out with the right payee.
- If you believe your registration should be opted out, confirm your registration with the Ministry before resubmitting.
- Resubmit the corrected claim within three months of the service date. If that window has passed but the claim was first submitted on time, use the Ministry's stale-dated resubmission process.
Don't resubmit if
- Your payee is already P and the claim still rejects. Check your registration with the Ministry first.
How APEX handles it
APEX reads your error reports and remittance advice from MCEDT and lists claims rejected with this code in its Correction Centre for you to correct and resubmit. See how APEX works · Pricing