Remittance Advice · Payment-time (remittance)
OHIP explanatory code 55
Deduction is an adjustment on an earlier account
What 55 means
The Ministry of Health’s official wording for 55 is: “Deduction is an adjustment on an earlier account.”
This code appears as an explanatory code on your monthly Remittance Advice (RA). It means the claim was adjudicated — paid, reduced, or refused — for the reason below. A claim already on your RA generally shouldn't be blindly resubmitted; follow the suggested action.
How to fix 55
This is part of a reassessment of an earlier claim. Match the deduction and payment lines (they often net to zero); investigate the original claim if there is a real change.
Payment-time codes appear on the monthly Remittance Advice after adjudication. Some are informational, some explain a reduced or refused payment. Where you disagree with the outcome, the usual route is a Remittance Advice Inquiry or written inquiry — not resubmitting the same claim, which can create a duplicate.
Related codes
- 51Fee Schedule Code changed in accordance with Schedule of Benefits
- 52Fee-for-service assessed by medical consultant
- 53Fee allowed according to appropriate item in a previous Schedule of Benefits
- 54Interim payment - claim under review
- 56Claim under review
- 57This payment is an adjustment on an earlier account
- 58Claimed by another physician within group
- 59Practitioner's notification - WCB claims
Tired of decoding rejections by hand?
MedConcierge explains every rejection on your reports and helps you fix and resubmit in clicks. OHIP billing built by physicians, for physicians.
Code meaning per Ontario Ministry of Health — Remittance Advice Explanatory Codes / Messages (March 2026). The suggested action is general information for Ontario physicians, not billing, legal, or tax advice — codes and rules change, so verify against the current Ministry of Health documents before relying on a claim.