Error code
EQ4 — Billed as Pay Provider, but provider is opted out
Should be pay patient
The claim was sent as pay provider, but the Ministry shows you were opted out on the service date.
What to do: Change the payee to S (pay patient), or confirm your registration with the Ministry if you believe you're opted in.
- Code
- EQ4
- Description
- Billed as Pay Provider, but provider is opted out
Explanation
Updated October 26, 2026
EQ4: the claim was sent as pay provider, but you are registered as opted out on that date. Change the payee to pay patient, or check your registration.
What it means
Every OHIP claim says who gets paid: the provider (payee P) or the patient (payee S). EQ4 means the claim was sent as pay provider, but the Ministry's records show you were registered as opted out on the service date, so the claim was rejected.
Common causes
- The payee field was set to P (pay provider) when your registration is opted out
- 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 out, change the payee to S (pay patient).
- If you believe you are opted in, confirm your registration with the Ministry before resubmitting.
- Fix the default in your billing software so new claims go out with the right payee.
- 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
- You have not confirmed your registration status. The same claim will reject again.
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