How do I fix OHIP error code VHC?

Confirm where the test or procedure was done. Add the matching SLI. Use OFF for a community physician's office and IHF for an independent health facility. Hospital technical fees need HOP, HRP, HDS or HED. If the patient was a hospital in-patient, the technical fee isn't payable. Remove it and resubmit the rest of the claim. Resubmit the corrected claim. If more than three months have passed since the service date and the original claim was sent on time, use the stale-dated claim process described under VJ7.

When shouldn't I resubmit a VHC claim?

You would be resubmitting without an SLI. It will reject again. You would be billing a technical fee for a hospital in-patient. It isn't payable.

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Error code

VHC — SLI required for technical fee

Q: What does OHIP error code VHC mean?

VHC means a technical fee was billed without a service location indicator (SLI). Add the SLI for where the service was done and resubmit.

Technical fee missing location

A technical fee was billed without a service location indicator, so the whole claim was rejected.

What to do: Add the code for where the service was done, such as OFF for a community office or IHF for an independent facility, and resubmit.

Code: VHC
Description: SLI required for technical fee

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

VHC means a technical fee was billed without a service location indicator (SLI). Add the SLI for where the service was done and resubmit.

What it means

A technical fee pays for the technical part of a diagnostic or therapeutic service, separate from the physician's professional fee. For service dates from April 1, 2020, a claim with a technical fee must include a service location indicator (SLI) showing where the service was done. If it is missing, the whole claim rejects with VHC. Out-of-province claims don't need an SLI for a technical fee.

The Ministry's SLI codes are HDS (hospital day surgery), HED (hospital emergency department), HIP (hospital in-patient), HOP (hospital out-patient), HRP (hospital referred patient), IHF (independent health facility), OFF (office of a community physician), OTN (Ontario Telemedicine Network), PDF (private diagnostic facility) and RTF (rehabilitation treatment facility).

Common causes

The SLI field was left blank on an office claim.
An EMR or billing template doesn't fill in the SLI for technical fee codes.

How to fix it

Confirm where the test or procedure was done.
Add the matching SLI. Use OFF for a community physician's office and IHF for an independent health facility. Hospital technical fees need HOP, HRP, HDS or HED.
If the patient was a hospital in-patient, the technical fee isn't payable. Remove it and resubmit the rest of the claim.
Resubmit the corrected claim. If more than three months have passed since the service date and the original claim was sent on time, use the stale-dated claim process described under VJ7.

Don't resubmit if

You would be resubmitting without an SLI. It will reject again.
You would be billing a technical fee for a hospital in-patient. It isn't payable.

How APEX handles it

APEX lists VHC claims in the Correction Centre as needing your input. You enter the service location indicator and APEX resubmits the original claim with it. This works for every specialty. See how APEX works · Pricing

Related codes: V69, V73