Error code
ERF — Referring physician not currently eligible to refer
Referrer not eligible
The referring physician number is registered, but the Ministry currently has it as not eligible to make referrals.
What to do: Check the number for typing errors; if correct, ask the referring office whether their registration is active.
- Code
- ERF
- Description
- Referring physician not currently eligible to refer
Explanation
Updated October 26, 2026
ERF means the referring physician number on the claim is currently not eligible to refer. Check the referring number and resubmit.
What it means
ERF means the referring physician number on the claim is registered, but the Ministry currently has it as not eligible to make referrals, so the claim was rejected.
Common causes
- The referring physician is no longer active or able to refer (for example, retired, moved or registration ended)
- A typing error turned the number into another provider's number
How to fix it
- Check the referring number against the referral letter or requisition.
- Correct any typing error.
- If the number is right, ask the referring physician or their office whether their registration is active.
- 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
- The referring physician could not refer on the service date. A new valid referral is needed.
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
Related codes: EQ6, AC4, ARF, ARP