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CO-D15 Denial Code (Deactivated): Physician Supervision

CO-D15 meant the claim lacked an indication that the service was supervised or evaluated by a physician. X12 deactivated it and pointed to CARC 17, since retired; today the issue is typically CARC 16 with remark M136.

X12 deactivated CARCD15 on October 16, 2003. Payers should no longer use it on new remittances, but it can still appear on older ERAs, corrected claims, and appeals.

Code: CO-D15 (CARC D15)
Status: Deactivated StoppedOctober 16, 2003 (in use since January 1, 1995).
Code set: Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): The provider needed to document or report the supervision; the patient was not billed.
Official description: Claim lacks indication that service was supervised or evaluated by a physician.
X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What CO-D15 meant

Some services are payable only when a physician supervises them or evaluates the results. CARC D15 denied claims that did not show that involvement. The service might have been properly supervised, but the claim gave the payer no way to tell.

What replaced it

X12’s note says to use code 17, the subject of the CO-17 page, but that code was later deactivated as well. Current remittances typically combine CO-16 with remark M136 for the missing supervision indication, or N296 when the supervising provider’s name is missing or invalid.

If you still see CO-D15

It only appears on older claims. For a current supervision denial, check the record for the supervising physician and the level of supervision provided. Add the supervising provider to the claim fields the payer requires and resubmit. If supervision did not meet the payer’s requirement, the service is usually not billable as submitted.

CO-17Deactivated (Requested information was not provided or was insufficient/incomplete.): Originally named replacement, which has also been retired.
CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Active code for missing information, used with a remark code.
M136 (Missing/incomplete/invalid indication that the service was supervised or evaluated by a physician.): Remark code for a missing indication that the service was supervised or evaluated by a physician.
N296 (Missing/incomplete/invalid supervising provider name.): Remark code for a missing or invalid supervising provider name.

CO-D15 FAQ

Which services need physician supervision?

Examples include some diagnostic tests, services by auxiliary personnel, and certain therapy or clinical staff services. Required supervision levels differ by service and payer.

How is supervision reported?

Claim formats include supervising provider fields, and some payers use modifiers or documentation. The medical record should show who supervised and how.

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