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M47 Remark Code: Original Claim Number Missing

M47 means the claim did not include a valid payer claim control number, also called an ICN, CCN, or DCN. The payer needs that number to match a corrected or voided claim to the original.

Quick facts

Code
M47 (RARC M47)
Status
Active In use since January 1, 1997; last modified July 1, 2015.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The corrected or void claim cannot be processed until the original claim number is supplied. The patient is not affected.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid Payer Claim Control Number. Other terms exist for this element including, but not limited to, Internal Control Number (ICN), Claim Control Number (CCN), Document Control Number (DCN).
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What M47 means

When you replace or void a claim, the payer has to know which original claim you mean. It does this through its own claim control number, assigned when it first received the claim. M47 says that number was missing, incomplete, or did not match anything in the payer’s system.

Without it, your corrected claim may be rejected, or processed as a new claim and denied as a duplicate.

Common causes

  • A replacement claim (frequency 7) or void (frequency 8) was sent without the original reference.
  • The practice’s own claim number was entered instead of the payer’s.
  • The number came from a different claim, such as an earlier rejected submission.
  • Digits were truncated by the billing system or clearinghouse.
  • The original was never accepted by the payer, so there is no number to reference.

How to fix it

  1. Find the original remittance and copy the payer claim control number exactly.
  2. Enter it in box 22 (CMS-1500) or form locator 64 (UB-04), with the correct resubmission or frequency code.
  3. Confirm the original claim was adjudicated. If it was rejected before processing, submit a new original claim instead.
  4. Resubmit and watch for the replacement to post against the original.

How to prevent it

Store payer claim numbers from every ERA against the claim in your system so corrected claims pull them automatically. See duplicate claim denials for how missing references lead to duplicates.

Codes that may appear with M47

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Required information, the original claim reference, is missing or invalid.
  • CO-A1 (Claim/Service denied.): Some payers deny the corrected claim at claim level with M47 explaining why.
  • N152 (Missing/incomplete/invalid replacement claim information.): Replacement claim information is missing or invalid more broadly.
  • N547 (A refund request (Frequency Type Code 8) was processed previously.): A refund or void request was already processed for the claim.
  • OA-18 (Exact duplicate claim/service (Use only with Group Code OA except where state workers' compensation regulations requires CO)): Without the original reference, a corrected claim may be treated as a duplicate.

M47 FAQ

Where do I find the payer claim control number?

On the original remittance advice or ERA for that claim, often labeled ICN, CCN, DCN, or payer claim number.

Where does it go on the claim form?

On the CMS-1500 it goes in box 22 with the resubmission code (7 to replace, 8 to void). On the UB-04 it goes in form locator 64.

Can I use my own claim number?

No. It must be the payer's number for the original claim, not your internal patient account or claim ID.