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CO-113 Denial Code (Deactivated): Outside U.S. or War

CO-113 meant payment was denied because the service was provided outside the United States or resulted from war. X12 deactivated it, and its notes direct payers to codes 157, 158, or 159.

X12 deactivated CARC113 on June 30, 2007. Payers should no longer use it on new remittances, but it can still appear on older ERAs, corrected claims, and appeals.

Quick facts

Code
CO-113 (CARC 113)
Status
Deactivated StoppedJune 30, 2007 (in use since January 1, 1995).
Code set
Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): Used when the provider bore the denied amount.
  • PR (Patient Responsibility): Used when the plan excluded the service and the patient could be responsible.
Official description
Payment denied because service/procedure was provided outside the United States or as a result of war.
X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What CO-113 meant

CARC 113 combined two unrelated exclusions: care provided outside the United States, and care needed because of war. Many plans, including Medicare in most circumstances, exclude one or both, and this single code covered the denial either way.

What replaced it

X12’s note lists codes 157, 158, and 159 as the ones to use instead:

  • CO-158 for services provided outside the United States.
  • CO-157 for services that resulted from an act of war.
  • CO-159 for services that resulted from terrorism, a category the old code did not address.

If you still see CO-113

It will generally be limited to historical files. If you are working a claim with this code, confirm the place where the service was performed. A wrong address or place-of-service entry can make a domestic service look foreign; correct and resubmit in that case.

If the service truly was rendered abroad or related to war, review the patient’s plan for any exception, such as emergency coverage while traveling. Without one, the claim is usually final, and whether the patient can be billed depends on the group code and your agreement with the patient.

  • CO-158 (Service/procedure was provided outside of the United States.): Service or procedure was provided outside of the United States.
  • CO-157 (Service/procedure was provided as a result of an act of war.): Service or procedure was provided as a result of an act of war.
  • CO-159 (Service/procedure was provided as a result of terrorism.): Service or procedure was provided as a result of terrorism.

CO-113 FAQ

Which code should replace CO-113 on my claim?

It depends on the reason: 158 for services rendered outside the U.S., 157 for war-related care, and 159 for care resulting from terrorism.

Can a foreign-service denial be overturned?

Only if the plan's terms cover the situation or the service was not actually provided abroad. Some plans cover emergency care abroad; check the member's benefits.