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CO-148 Denial Code: Info From Another Provider Missing

CO-148 means information from another provider was not provided or was insufficient. The payer needs something that comes from a different provider, such as an order, certification, referral detail, or records, and it was missing or incomplete. A remark code identifies what is needed.

Quick facts

Code
CO-148 (CARC 148)
Status
Active In use since June 30, 2002; last modified September 20, 2009.
Code set
Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The billing provider is responsible for obtaining the information. The amount is not billable to the patient.
Official description
Information from another provider was not provided or was insufficient/incomplete. At least one Remark Code must be provided (may be comprised of either the NCPDP Reject Reason Code, or Remittance Advice Remark Code that is not an ALERT.)
X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What CO-148 means

CARC 148 says information from another provider was not provided or was insufficient/incomplete. Many services depend on a second provider: labs and imaging centers need an order, therapy needs a certified plan of care, DME needs a prescription and sometimes a face-to-face note, and home health needs a certification. When the payer needs that outside information and does not have it, it denies with CARC 148. X12 requires a remark code, which tells you what is missing.

The billing provider is still responsible for getting it. The payer will not chase the ordering or referring physician for you.

Example: an imaging center bills a study, and the payer requests the order. The referring office never sends it, and the claim denies CO-148 with N455. The imaging center obtains the signed order and submits it for reconsideration.

Common causes

  • A missing or unsigned order, prescription, or requisition from the ordering provider.
  • A therapy or home health plan of care not signed or certified by the physician.
  • Required face-to-face documentation missing for DME.
  • Records requested from the referring or treating physician not received by the payer.
  • Ordering or referring provider name and NPI (boxes 17 and 17b) missing or invalid on the claim.

How to fix it

  1. Read the remark code to identify the specific document or data element.
  2. Contact the other provider and request the item. Be specific about what the payer needs and by when.
  3. If a claim field was missing, such as the ordering NPI in box 17b, send a corrected claim with resubmission code 7 in box 22.
  4. If a document was missing, send it through the payer’s attachment or reconsideration process with the claim number.
  5. Track the payer’s deadline for submitting additional information.

How to prevent it

  • Do not schedule or perform order-dependent services until a complete, signed order is on file.
  • Track plan-of-care certifications and recertification dates for therapy and home health patients.
  • Validate ordering and referring NPIs before claims go out. A Claims Validator can flag missing box 17 data.
  • Build relationships and clear request templates with your top referring offices.
  • See medical claim denials and their preventable causes for intake controls.

Specialty notes

DME suppliers, independent labs, imaging centers, home health agencies, and PT/OT practices depend most on other providers’ paperwork and see this code most often.

Remark codes that may appear with CO-148

  • N181 (Additional information is required from another provider involved in this service.): Additional information is required from another provider involved in the service.
  • N455 (Missing Physician Order.): The physician order is missing.
  • M141 (Missing physician certified plan of care.): The physician-certified plan of care is missing.
  • N265 (Missing/incomplete/invalid ordering provider primary identifier.): The ordering provider's primary identifier is missing or invalid.
  • CO-226 (Information requested from the Billing/Rendering Provider was not provided or not provided timely or was insufficient/incomplete.): Information requested from the billing or rendering provider itself was not provided.
  • CO-227 (Information requested from the patient/insured/responsible party was not provided or was insufficient/incomplete.): Information requested from the patient or insured was not provided.
  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment or other documentation is required to adjudicate the claim.
  • CO-183 (The referring provider is not eligible to refer the service billed.): The referring provider is not eligible to refer the service.
  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): General missing or invalid claim information from the billing provider.

CO-148 FAQ

What kind of information from another provider does CO-148 mean?

Things you cannot create yourself: an order or prescription, a signed plan of care or certification, a referral, a face-to-face encounter note, or records from the treating physician.

How do I fix CO-148?

Read the remark code, obtain the missing item from the other provider, and send it to the payer or correct the claim, depending on whether the payer needs a document or a claim field.

Can I bill the patient if the other provider won't respond?

Not under CO. Keep escalating with the other provider; the missing item is usually a condition of payment for your claim.