Skip to main content

M70 Remark Code: NDC Translated to a HCPCS Code

M70 is an informational alert. The payer translated the National Drug Code (NDC) you submitted into a HCPCS code so it could process the service, and asks you to keep sending the NDC on future claims for this item.

Quick facts

Code
M70 (RARC M70)
Status
Active In use since January 1, 1997; last modified August 1, 2007.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): Any adjustment on the line is explained by the CARC, not by M70. The alert only describes how the drug was identified for pricing.
  • PR (Patient Responsibility): Patient cost-sharing on the line is unaffected by the translation itself.
Official description
Alert: The NDC code submitted for this service was translated to a HCPCS code for processing, but please continue to submit the NDC on future claims for this item.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What M70 means

Payers often price drugs, biologicals, and some supplies by HCPCS Level II code, while the product itself is identified by its 11-digit National Drug Code. When you report an NDC, a payer can translate it into the HCPCS code it uses internally and price the line from there. M70 tells you that this translation happened.

The alert ends with a request: keep submitting the NDC on future claims for the item. Payers rely on NDC data for drug-level reporting and rebate processes, so dropping it could create problems later even though this line processed.

What to do

  1. Read the CARC on the line. M70 does not explain a denial or a reduction on its own.
  2. Check the allowed amount against your expectation for that drug and unit count. If the payer mapped to a HCPCS code with a different unit definition, the payment can look off.
  3. Keep sending the NDC in the required format (11 digits with the qualifier and unit of measure your payer specifies), alongside the HCPCS code where the payer requires both.
  4. Contact the payer only if the translated code or unit conversion appears incorrect.

Reviewing drug lines across remittances is easier with an ERA Analyzer that groups adjustments by code, so pricing oddities on translated drugs stand out.

Codes that may appear with M70

  • CO-45 (Charge exceeds fee schedule/maximum allowable or contracted/legislated fee arrangement.): The translated line was priced at the HCPCS allowance, and any excess charge is written off as a fee schedule adjustment.
  • PR-2 (Coinsurance Amount): Coinsurance applied to the drug line after it was priced under the translated HCPCS code.
  • M119 (Missing/incomplete/invalid/ deactivated/withdrawn National Drug Code (NDC).): Used when the NDC itself is missing, incomplete, or invalid, which does require action.
  • M51 (Missing/incomplete/invalid procedure code(s).): Addresses a missing or invalid procedure code, which can matter when a drug is billed only by NDC.

M70 FAQ

Do I need to do anything about M70?

Usually not. Check that the payment is what you expected for the drug and keep reporting the NDC on future claims, as the alert requests.

Should I stop sending the NDC since the payer converts it anyway?

No. The official text specifically asks you to continue submitting the NDC for this item.

Why would the payment look different than expected?

The line was priced under the HCPCS code the payer mapped to. If that mapping looks wrong, contact the payer with the NDC, units, and date of service.