CARC 16CO · Contractual Obligation
The claim is missing required information or contains a billing error that prevented the payer from processing it.
- Common causes
- A required field was left blank, formatted incorrectly, or inconsistent with other claim data; this code is almost always paired with a remark code specifying exactly what's missing.
- Suggested fix
- Check the accompanying remark code for the specific missing element, correct it, and resubmit the claim.
Related Contractual Obligation codes
107This claim depends on another related claim or service being referenced, but that link wasn't provided.11The diagnosis code doesn't support medical necessity for the procedure billed, based on the payer's coverage edits.13The claim shows a date of service after the patient's recorded date of death.146The diagnosis code billed wasn't a valid, active code as of the date of service.150The documentation submitted doesn't justify the complexity or level of the service billed, commonly seen with evaluation and management visit levels.170This payer doesn't reimburse this specific provider type for this service.171This payer doesn't cover this service when it's billed by this provider type in this particular facility setting.172The payment amount was adjusted because of the rendering provider's specialty designation.
Frequently asked questions
What does CARC 16 mean?
The claim is missing required information or contains a billing error that prevented the payer from processing it.
How do I resolve CARC 16?
Check the accompanying remark code for the specific missing element, correct it, and resubmit the claim.
Why does CARC 16 happen?
A required field was left blank, formatted incorrectly, or inconsistent with other claim data; this code is almost always paired with a remark code specifying exactly what's missing.
CARC codes maintained by X12 (x12.org). Descriptions on this site are original reference interpretations. Always verify codes with authoritative sources before making billing decisions.