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MA117 Remark Code: $1.00 User Fee Assessed

MA117 means the payer assessed a $1.00 user fee on this claim. The fee reduces the payment, and the remark explains why the paid amount is a dollar less than expected.

Quick facts

Code
MA117 (RARC MA117)
Status
Active In use since January 1, 1997.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The fee is a provider-side reduction and is not billed to the patient.
  • OA (Other Adjustment): Some payers report the user fee as another adjustment separate from pricing.
Official description
This claim has been assessed a $1.00 user fee.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What MA117 means

MA117 explains a small reduction: the payer charged a $1.00 user fee on this claim. The official text does not say what triggers the fee, only that it was assessed. The effect is simple: the payment is a dollar less, and your posting needs an adjustment for it.

Although the amount is small, it can add up across high volume.

Common causes

  • A payer policy assesses a fee on certain claims, for example depending on how or where they were submitted. The payer can tell you which policy applies.
  • The claim met a condition the payer ties to administrative processing costs.

What to do

  1. Post the $1.00 as an adjustment against the claim, not as patient responsibility.
  2. Track the fee by payer so you can see how often it is applied.
  3. Ask the payer what triggers the fee if it appears often, and whether a change in submission method would avoid it.
  4. Contact the payer if the fee appears on claims you believe should be exempt.

How to prevent it

  • Understand the payer’s policy for the fee, then adjust your submission practices if it is avoidable.
  • Small, recurring reductions are easy to miss. Grouping adjustments by remark code, for example with an ERA Analyzer, shows how much they total over time.

Codes that may appear with MA117

  • CO-45 (Charge exceeds fee schedule/maximum allowable or contracted/legislated fee arrangement.): A standard pricing adjustment that may appear on the same claim, separate from the fee.
  • CO-253 (Sequestration - reduction in federal payment): Sequestration, another fixed-rule reduction that can appear next to a user fee.
  • MA125 (Per legislation governing this program, payment constitutes payment in full.): Payment constitutes payment in full per legislation, another program-rule remark.
  • M117 (Not covered unless submitted via electronic claim.): A service not covered unless submitted electronically, a remark tied to submission method.

MA117 FAQ

Can I bill the patient for the $1.00?

No. It is a fee the payer assessed against the provider's payment.

Why was the fee charged?

The official text only says a $1.00 user fee was assessed. Ask the payer which policy it applies and whether anything about how you submit claims triggers it.

How do I post it?

Post it as an adjustment tied to the claim so the account balances, and keep it separate from contractual write-offs so you can track it.