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MA108 Remark Code: More Than One Item in Field 23

MA108 means the paper claim contained more than one data item in field 23. That field holds a single identifier, such as a prior authorization number, so extra entries prevent processing.

Code: MA108 (RARC MA108)
Status: Active In use since January 1, 1997.
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim was not processed as submitted because of a form error. The provider corrects it; the patient is not billed.
Official description: Paper claim contains more than one data item in field 23.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What MA108 means

Item 23 of the CMS-1500 is designed for a single identifier, most often a prior authorization number. MA108 says your paper claim put more than one item there, for example two authorization numbers, or an authorization number plus a CLIA number. The payer cannot tell which one applies, so the claim is not processed.

Common causes

A claim included services covered by different authorizations.
Staff entered both an authorization and a referral number.
A CLIA number was added alongside an authorization for a claim that included lab services.

How to fix it

Decide which identifier the payer requires for the services on the claim.
Split the claim so each one carries one field 23 value.
Resubmit the corrected claims.

How to prevent it

Group services by authorization when creating claims.
Keep lab services requiring a CLIA number on separate claims when the payer expects it.
For more on authorization numbers and claim matching, see authorization and referral denials.

Codes that may appear with MA108

CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): A submission error, here multiple entries in field 23.

MA107 (Paper claim contains more than three separate data items in field 19.): The similar limit for field 19, which allows up to three data items.
MA120 (Missing/incomplete/invalid CLIA certification number.): A missing or invalid CLIA number, one of the identifiers that may be reported in field 23.
N54 (Claim information is inconsistent with pre-certified/authorized services.): Claim information does not match the authorized services.

MA108 FAQ

What goes in field 23?

CMS-1500 item 23 holds one identifier, most often a prior authorization number. Depending on payer rules, it may hold other identifiers such as a CLIA number or a referral number.

What if services need different authorization numbers?

Split the claim so each claim has only the one number that applies to its services.

Does this happen on electronic claims?

The official text is about paper claims. Electronic claims report these identifiers in separate segments.

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