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MA115 Remark Code: HPSA Service Location Missing

MA115 means the claim was missing, or had an incomplete or invalid, physical location (name and address, or identifier) where services were rendered in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The payer needs it to verify HPSA eligibility.

Quick facts

Code
MA115 (RARC MA115)
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 HPSA-related payment or claim could not be processed without the location. The provider corrects it; the patient is not billed.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid physical location (name and address, or PIN) where the service(s) were rendered in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What MA115 means

Medicare pays a bonus for certain physician services furnished in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). To apply it, Medicare needs the physical location where the service was rendered. MA115 says that location, name and address or an identifier, was missing or invalid on a claim that involved HPSA considerations.

Because the bonus is based on where care occurs, not where the billing office is, a missing or inaccurate location prevents Medicare from confirming eligibility.

Common causes

  • The AQ modifier was billed without a service location in item 32.
  • The billing address was used instead of the actual service address.
  • The ZIP code was missing or incomplete, preventing the HPSA lookup.
  • A mobile or satellite site was not listed correctly.

How to fix it

  1. Confirm the actual service location and its full address, including ZIP code.
  2. Complete item 32 and 32a with the physical location and NPI.
  3. Check whether the location qualifies as a HPSA before using the AQ modifier.
  4. Resubmit the corrected claim.

How to prevent it

  • Maintain an accurate address, including ZIP+4 where available, for every practice location.
  • Require item 32 whenever AQ is billed.
  • Review your location records during enrollment updates; see provider enrollment denials.

Codes that may appear with MA115

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks required information, here the HPSA service location.
  • MA114 (Missing/incomplete/invalid information on where the services were furnished.): The general version: information on where services were furnished was missing.
  • N294 (Missing/incomplete/invalid service facility primary address.): The service facility's primary address was missing or invalid.

MA115 FAQ

What is a HPSA?

A Health Professional Shortage Area is a geographic area, population, or facility designated as having a shortage of health professionals. Medicare pays a bonus to physicians for services furnished in eligible HPSAs.

How does Medicare know a service is in a HPSA?

Medicare determines eligibility based on the service location, typically by ZIP code. When the location is not in an automatically eligible area, a modifier such as AQ may be used where Medicare allows it.

Where do I put the location?

CMS-1500 item 32 with the physical address and NPI in 32a. Make sure the ZIP code is accurate, since it is often used to determine eligibility.