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MA05 Remark Code (Deactivated): Admission/Status/Bill Type

MA05 meant the admission date, patient status, or type of bill on the claim was incorrect. X12 deactivated it and suggested MA30, MA40, or MA43, which cover each of those three fields separately.

X12 deactivated RARCMA05 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: MA05 (RARC MA05)
Status: Deactivated StoppedOctober 16, 2003 (in use since January 1, 1997).
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): Accompanied CO missing- or invalid-information adjustments; the facility had to correct the claim.
Official description: Incorrect admission date patient status or type of bill entry on claim.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What MA05 meant

Remark MA05 pointed to one of three header fields on an institutional claim: the admission date, the patient discharge status, or the type of bill. One of them was wrong, and the payer could not process the claim as submitted. The remark did not specify which field.

What replaced it

X12’s note suggests using MA30, MA40, or MA43, one for each field:

MA30 for the type of bill.
MA40 for the admission date.
MA43 for the patient status.

They usually accompany CARC CO-16.

If you still see MA05

It is limited to older institutional remittances. When a similar rejection appears today, check the specific remark, then compare the admission date, statement period, discharge status, and bill type frequency code for consistency. Fix the field and resubmit using the correct frequency code for a corrected or replacement claim.

MA30 (Missing/incomplete/invalid type of bill.): Missing, incomplete, or invalid type of bill.
MA40 (Missing/incomplete/invalid admission date.): Missing, incomplete, or invalid admission date.
MA43 (Missing/incomplete/invalid patient status.): Missing, incomplete, or invalid patient status.
CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The adjustment code these remarks typically accompany.

MA05 FAQ

Why do these three fields matter together?

They describe the shape of an institutional stay: when it began, how it ended, and what kind of bill it is. Inconsistencies among them can change how the claim is priced or whether it can be processed.

What is a common inconsistency?

A type of bill indicating a final claim with a patient status showing the patient is still a patient, or an admission date after the statement start date on an inpatient claim.

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