How do I fix OHIP error code VH1?

Compare the health number on the claim with the patient's card, digit by digit. Run a health card validation check on the corrected number. If the patient has a card from another province, bill through Reciprocal Medical Billing instead. Quebec patients are not covered by that program; Quebec services are billed to the patient or to Quebec Medicare. If you can't get the card, physicians registered as health information custodians can use ServiceOntario's Health Number Release service. Resubmit the corrected claim. Resubmit within three months of the service date if you can. If that window has passed but the claim was first submitted on time, use the Ministry's stale-dated resubmission process: one stale-dated claim file through MCEDT, then an email to ClaimsManagement@ontario.ca with the Error Reports showing the original submission date.

When shouldn't I resubmit a VH1 claim?

You haven't corrected the number. The same claim will reject again. The patient doesn't have Ontario coverage. Bill them, their home province or Reciprocal Medical Billing as appropriate.

< Error codes

Error code

VH1 — Health Number is missing/invalid

Q: What does OHIP error code VH1 mean?

VH1 means the claim's health number is blank or isn't a valid Ontario health number. Check the 10 digits and resubmit.

Invalid health number

The health number on the claim is blank or fails OHIP's check, so OHIP can't match the claim to a patient.

What to do: Compare the 10-digit number with the patient's card digit by digit, run a health card validation check, and resubmit.

Code: VH1
Description: Health Number is missing/invalid

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

VH1 means the claim's health number is blank or isn't a valid Ontario health number. Check the 10 digits and resubmit.

What it means

An Ontario health number is 10 digits and is printed on the front of every health card. VH1 means the number on the claim is missing or fails OHIP's validity check, so OHIP can't match the claim to a patient.

Common reasons are a digit typed wrong, digits in the wrong order, or a number from another province entered as an Ontario claim. The Ministry's health card validation service also flags numbers that aren't 10 digits or that don't exist on its system.

Common causes

Health number left blank
A digit mistyped or two digits swapped
Version code or other characters typed into the health number field
Out-of-province health number billed as an Ontario claim

How to fix it

Compare the health number on the claim with the patient's card, digit by digit.
Run a health card validation check on the corrected number.
If the patient has a card from another province, bill through Reciprocal Medical Billing instead. Quebec patients are not covered by that program; Quebec services are billed to the patient or to Quebec Medicare.
If you can't get the card, physicians registered as health information custodians can use ServiceOntario's Health Number Release service.
Resubmit the corrected claim. Resubmit within three months of the service date if you can. If that window has passed but the claim was first submitted on time, use the Ministry's stale-dated resubmission process: one stale-dated claim file through MCEDT, then an email to [email protected] with the Error Reports showing the original submission date.

Don't resubmit if

You haven't corrected the number. The same claim will reject again.
The patient doesn't have Ontario coverage. Bill them, their home province or Reciprocal Medical Billing as appropriate.

How APEX handles it

APEX has no automatic fix for VH1. The claim appears in the Correction Centre as needing your input so you can enter the correct health number before it's resubmitted. See how APEX works · Pricing

Related codes: VH2, VH9, VH8, VH4