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M142 Remark Code: Missing ADA Recognition Certificate

M142 means the payer needs the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Certificate of Recognition and did not receive it. The certificate shows your diabetes self-management education program is recognised, which some payers require before paying for this education.

Code: M142 (RARC M142)
Status: Active In use since January 1, 1997; last modified February 28, 2003.
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): The provider absorbs the amount because the program's recognition was not documented. The patient generally should not be billed.
Official description: Missing American Diabetes Association Certificate of Recognition.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What M142 means

Diabetes self-management education is not payable from just any provider. Medicare, and other payers that follow its model, pay only when the program has been recognised or accredited by an approved national organisation. M142 says the payer needed the American Diabetes Association Certificate of Recognition to confirm this and did not have it.

The code usually accompanies CARC 16 or 252, signalling that documentation is missing rather than that the education is excluded outright.

Common causes

The payer’s provider file does not contain your recognition certificate.
The program’s recognition expired and the renewal was not sent to the payer.
Services were billed under a location or billing number that the certificate does not cover.
The payer asked for the certificate and the request was missed.

How to fix it

Confirm your recognition status. Check that the certificate was valid on the date of service and names the program and location billing the claim.
Send the certificate to the payer. Use its attachment or provider-enrollment update process and include the claim number where required.
Resubmit if needed. When the payer requires it, send a replacement claim with resubmission code 7 in box 22 once the certificate is on file.
Appeal a wrongful denial. If the certificate was already on file, request a reopening or appeal and attach a copy.

How to prevent it

Keep a copy of the current certificate with your enrollment records for each payer and update them as soon as recognition renews. Checking program credentials is part of broader provider set-up; see provider enrollment denials.

Codes that may appear with M142

CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing information prevented adjudication, and M142 identifies the certificate as the missing item.
CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment is required to process the claim, in this case the recognition certificate.
CO-B7 (This provider was not certified/eligible to be paid for this procedure/service on this date of service.): Used when the payer considers the provider not certified or eligible to be paid for the service on that date.

N226 (Incomplete/invalid American Diabetes Association Certificate of Recognition.): The certificate was received but is incomplete or invalid, for example expired or issued to another entity.
M143 (The provider must update license information with the payer.): A licensing update is needed, which is a credential problem for the provider rather than the program.
CO-170 (Payment is denied when performed/billed by this type of provider.): Payment denied because of the type of provider billing the service.

M142 FAQ

Which services does M142 apply to?

It relates to diabetes self-management training or education programs. Medicare pays for this training only from programs accredited by an approved national organisation, and the ADA is one of them.

What if my program is accredited by another organisation?

Tell the payer and send that accreditation instead. Payers may accept more than one accrediting body, so confirm which documents it needs.

Does the certificate need to be current?

Yes. Recognition runs for a set period, and a certificate that had lapsed on the date of service is likely to be treated as invalid. Keep renewal dates on your calendar.

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