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MA87 Remark Code (Deactivated): Primary Insured's Name

MA87 meant the name of the insured person under the primary payer's policy was missing, incomplete, or invalid. X12 deactivated it and suggested MA92, missing plan information for other insurance.

X12 deactivated RARCMA87 on August 1, 2004. Payers should no longer use it on new remittances, but it can still appear on older ERAs, corrected claims, and appeals.

Code: MA87 (RARC MA87)
Status: Deactivated StoppedAugust 1, 2004 (in use since January 1, 1997).
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): Accompanied CO missing-information adjustments; the provider needed to supply the primary subscriber's name.
Official description: Missing/incomplete/invalid insured's name for the primary payer.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What MA87 meant

Remark MA87 focused on the person who holds the primary coverage. When billing a secondary payer, the claim needs the primary policyholder’s name, and MA87 said it was not there or did not look right. For dependents, that means the parent or spouse, not the patient.

What replaced it

X12’s note suggested MA92. MA92 is active and covers missing plan information for other insurance, which includes the insured’s details. Identity mismatches on the payer’s own member can instead produce CARC CO-140 or remark N382.

If you still see MA87

It exists only in older remittances. For a current rejection, check the primary insurance card for the subscriber’s exact name and relationship to the patient, correct the other-insurance section, and resubmit.

MA92 (Missing plan information for other insurance.): The suggested replacement: missing plan information for other insurance.
N382 (Missing/incomplete/invalid patient identifier.): Missing, incomplete, or invalid patient identifier.
CO-140 (Patient/Insured health identification number and name do not match.): Patient or insured health identification number and name do not match.

MA87 FAQ

Is the insured always the patient?

No. For a dependent, the insured or subscriber is the policyholder, such as a parent or spouse. MA87 concerned that person's name under the primary policy.

What causes insured-name errors?

Entering the patient's name instead of the policyholder's, spelling differences from the card, or a name change that was not updated with the payer.

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