Error code
L9 — Hospital lab services not billable fee-for-service (covered by hospital budget)
Covered by hospital budget
Lab services for hospital in-patients or out-patients aren't paid fee-for-service; the hospital's global budget covers them.
What to do: Check whether the patient was a hospital in-patient or out-patient; if so, there's nothing to bill OHIP.
- Code
- L9
- Description
- Hospital lab services not billable fee-for-service (covered by hospital budget)
Explanation
Updated October 26, 2026
L9 means lab services for hospital in-patients or out-patients aren't paid fee-for-service. They are covered by the hospital's global budget.
What it means
L9 means laboratory services for hospital in-patients or out-patients are not payable on a fee-for-service basis. They are included in the hospital's global budget.
Common causes
- Lab tests done for a hospital patient were billed to OHIP
How to fix it
- Check whether the patient was a hospital in-patient or out-patient when the test was done.
- If so, the hospital's budget covers the test and there is nothing to bill to OHIP.
- If you believe the decision is wrong, send a Remittance Advice Inquiry (RAI) through eSubmit, or on form 0918-84, within 7 months of the RA date, with supporting details.
Don't resubmit if
- The test was done for a hospital in-patient or out-patient.
- The line is already on your RA. Question it with an RAI, not a new claim.
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