Denial Code CO-16: Description, Meaning and How to Fix It
The claim is missing required information or has an error. It is almost always paired with a RARC that names the specific missing field.
Official description
Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).
Common cause
Missing or invalid data - provider identifiers, diagnosis, modifiers, or other required fields.
How to fix it
Read the accompanying RARC (for example N290, MA130) to find the exact missing field, correct it, and resubmit.
Related denial codes
- CO-97-N290: The rendering provider's NPI is missing, incomplete, or invalid on the claim.
- CO-252: The payer needs supporting documentation before it can process the claim.
- MA130: The claim is unprocessable due to incomplete/invalid information, so it was not adjudicated (and has no appeal rights until corrected).
- CO-45: The amount billed is higher than the payer's contracted (allowed) rate. The difference is a contractual write-off, not a patient balance.
- CO-97: This service is bundled into another service that was already paid, so it is not paid separately.
- CO-18: The payer received this exact claim/service already.