M100 Remark Code: Oral Anti-Emetic Timing Not Met
M100 means the payer does not cover an oral anti-emetic drug unless it is administered for use immediately before, at, or within 48 hours of a covered chemotherapy drug. The claim did not meet that timing condition.
Quick facts
- Code
- M100 (RARC M100)
- Status
- Active In use since January 1, 1997.
- Code set
- Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
- Group codes
-
- CO (Contractual Obligation): The drug is denied under coverage rules, and the supplier absorbs it unless a valid patient agreement exists.
- PR (Patient Responsibility): The patient is responsible, typically when an advance notice of non-coverage was obtained.
- Official description
We do not pay for an oral anti-emetic drug that is not administered for use immediately before, at, or within 48 hours of administration of a covered chemotherapy drug.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026- Last verified
- against the official X12 list.
What M100 means
Medicare Part B covers certain oral anti-emetic drugs when they are used as part of a cancer chemotherapy regimen, specifically for use immediately before, at, or within 48 hours after administration of a covered chemotherapy drug. M100 tells you that the payer could not confirm that link, so it denied the anti-emetic.
This is a coverage condition, not a formatting problem. To get paid, the claim and records must show the relationship to covered chemotherapy.
Common causes
- The dispensing or dates billed extend beyond the 48-hour window.
- The chemotherapy drug is not a covered drug under the payer’s policy, or was not billed.
- The claim did not include the diagnosis or indicators the payer uses to connect the drug to chemotherapy.
- Anti-emetics used for other reasons billed under the chemotherapy benefit.
How to fix it
- Confirm the chemotherapy date and drug from the treating provider.
- Check that the anti-emetic quantity and dates fit within the covered window.
- Correct the claim if dates, quantities, or diagnoses were wrong, and resubmit as a corrected claim with frequency code 7.
- Appeal with records if the timing was met but not recognised.
- Look for other coverage such as a prescription drug plan for doses outside the window.
How to prevent it
- Dispense and bill anti-emetics in quantities aligned with the chemotherapy schedule.
- Get the chemotherapy date on every order.
- Review authorization and coverage prevention for building coverage checks into intake.
Codes that may appear with M100
- CO-96 (Non-covered charge(s).): The anti-emetic is non-covered, with M100 stating the timing condition.
- CO-50 (These are non-covered services because this is not deemed a 'medical necessity' by the payer.): The payer found the drug not medically necessary as billed.
- CO-B15 (This service/procedure requires that a qualifying service/procedure be received and covered.): The qualifying chemotherapy service was not found or not covered.
Related and easily confused codes
- M119 (Missing/incomplete/invalid/ deactivated/withdrawn National Drug Code (NDC).): The NDC for the drug was missing or invalid, which is a data issue rather than a timing issue.
- N386 (This decision was based on a National Coverage Determination (NCD).): The decision was based on a National Coverage Determination.
M100 FAQ
Why does the 48-hour window matter?
Medicare covers certain oral anti-emetics as a replacement for intravenous anti-emetics given with chemotherapy. Coverage is tied to use around the time of a covered chemotherapy drug.
What if the chemotherapy was billed by another provider?
The payer still needs to link the anti-emetic to covered chemotherapy. Documentation of the chemotherapy date and drug helps when that claim is from someone else.
Could the drug be covered under another benefit?
Possibly, such as a prescription drug plan, depending on the patient's coverage. Check before billing the patient.