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CO-62 Denial Code (Deactivated): Precert Absent or Exceeded

CO-62 meant payment was denied or reduced because pre-certification or authorization was missing, or because the services went beyond what was authorized. X12 deactivated it; the two cases are now reported separately with CARC 197 and CARC 198.

X12 deactivated CARC62 on April 1, 2007. Payers should no longer use it on new remittances, but it can still appear on older ERAs, corrected claims, and appeals.

Code: CO-62 (CARC 62)
Status: Deactivated StoppedApril 1, 2007 (in use since January 1, 1995).
Code set: Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): Obtaining authorization was the provider's responsibility, so the amount was a provider write-off.
Official description: Payment denied/reduced for absence of, or exceeded, pre-certification/authorization.
X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What CO-62 meant

CARC 62 flagged an authorization problem in either direction. The payer might have had no pre-certification on file for the service, or it might have had one that the billed services went past, for instance extra therapy visits beyond the approved count. Either way, the payer denied or cut back the payment.

What replaced it

The official text does not name a replacement, but today’s codes separate the two directions:

CO-197 when authorization or pre-certification was absent.
CO-198 when the authorized amount was exceeded.

Two other active codes cover nearby situations: CO-210 for an authorization that was requested too late, and CO-39 when the request itself was denied.

If you still see CO-62

It can appear in historical data and occasionally in systems that were never updated. Determine which situation applied by checking the payer portal for any authorization tied to the patient and date.

If an approval existed and covers the service, send the payer the authorization number and ask for reprocessing. If units were exceeded, request an extension or an updated authorization if the payer allows it after the fact. If nothing can be obtained, the amount is usually a contractual write-off, and a front-end authorization check is the best way to prevent repeats.

CO-197 (Precertification/authorization/notification/pre-treatment absent.): Precertification, authorization, notification, or pre-treatment absent.
CO-198 (Precertification/notification/authorization/pre-treatment exceeded.): Precertification, notification, authorization, or pre-treatment exceeded.
CO-210 (Payment adjusted because pre-certification/authorization not received in a timely fashion): Pre-certification or authorization was not received in a timely fashion.
CO-39 (Services denied at the time authorization/pre-certification was requested.): Authorization was requested but denied at the time of the request.

CO-62 FAQ

What is the difference between an absent and an exceeded authorization?

Absent means no approval existed for the service at all. Exceeded means approval existed, but the patient received more visits, units, or days than were approved, or services outside the approved dates.

Is retro-authorization possible on an old CO-62?

Some payers accept retroactive authorization requests within a limited window, usually with medical necessity documentation. Check the payer's policy; many will not consider it long after the service.

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