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CO-298 Denial Code: Medical Plan Forwarded Claim to Vision

CO-298 means the patient's medical plan has no benefit for the billed services and has already forwarded the claim to the patient's vision plan. Don't rebill yet: check with the vision plan, which will make its own coverage decision.

Quick facts

Code
CO-298 (CARC 298)
Status
Active In use since March 1, 2019.
Code set
Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The usual group. The medical plan pays nothing, and the balance waits for the vision plan's decision rather than going to the patient.
  • OA (Other Adjustment): Some payers use OA because the claim is being transferred between benefits.
Official description
Claim received by the medical plan, but benefits not available under this plan. Claim has been forwarded to the patient's vision plan for further consideration.
X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What CO-298 means

CARC 298 says the claim was received by the medical plan, but benefits are not available under this plan, and the claim has been forwarded to the patient’s vision plan. The medical payer decided these are vision-benefit services and handed the claim to the vision carrier itself.

This is the forwarded counterpart of CO-297. With CO-297 you must rebill; with CO-298 the transfer already happened, so the right move is to monitor it. Forwarding is most common when one company administers both the medical and vision benefits or has a data exchange arrangement with the vision carrier.

Example: a patient on an employer plan gets a routine eye exam. The practice bills the medical plan by mistake. The medical plan recognizes the routine service, forwards it to the employer’s vision carrier, and sends the practice an ERA with CO-298 and zero payment. Several weeks later, the vision plan’s remittance arrives with its own payment and any patient copay.

Common causes

  • Routine eye exams or refractions billed to a medical plan with a linked vision carrier.
  • Eyewear or contact lens charges on a medical claim.
  • Registration without vision plan details, so the practice defaulted to medical.

How to handle it

  1. Post the medical ERA with the zero payment and keep the balance open.
  2. Set a follow-up to confirm the vision plan received the claim.
  3. Check your network status with the vision plan, since it affects pricing and patient responsibility.
  4. Respond to requests from the vision plan for missing details.
  5. If it’s lost, submit directly to the vision plan with proof of the original filing date.
  6. If the service was medical, appeal to the medical plan with documentation supporting a medical diagnosis.

How to prevent it

  • Capture vision coverage at intake alongside medical coverage.
  • Classify visits as routine or medical when scheduling and bill the matching plan.
  • Monitor forwarded claims so they don’t stall. An ERA Analyzer can list CO-298 claims awaiting a second remittance.

Specialty notes

Optometry practices and ophthalmology groups offering routine exams see this code. Keeping vision plan credentialing current prevents forwarded claims from being paid at out-of-network rates.

Remark codes that may appear with CO-298

  • N429 (Not covered when considered routine.): Not covered when considered routine, typical for routine eye care on medical plans.
  • CO-297 (Claim received by the medical plan, but benefits not available under this plan.): Same routing, but not forwarded; you submit to the vision plan yourself.
  • CO-305 (Claim received by the medical plan, but benefits not available under this plan.): The medical plan forwarded the claim to a hearing plan instead.
  • CO-291 (Claim received by the medical plan, but benefits not available under this plan.): The medical plan forwarded the claim to a dental plan.
  • CO-49 (This is a non-covered service because it is a routine/preventive exam or a diagnostic/screening procedure done in conjunction with a…): A routine exam denied as non-covered, with no forwarding.

CO-298 FAQ

What should I do after receiving CO-298?

Note the date, then check the vision plan's portal or call it after a reasonable interval to confirm it received the forwarded claim. Wait for its remittance before billing the patient.

Will the vision plan pay at my contracted rate?

Only if you participate with that vision plan. Vision networks are often separate from medical networks, so an in-network medical provider may be out-of-network for vision.

Could the forwarded claim be missing information?

Yes. Vision plans may need details that medical claims don't carry, such as eyewear specifications or their own authorization number. Be prepared to supply them.

What if the vision plan says it never got the claim?

Submit it directly, and keep the medical plan's remittance showing CO-298 as proof of when the claim was first filed.