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N126 Remark Code: Records Show Patient Was Deported

N126 means Social Security records indicate the patient has been deported, and the payer does not cover items or services furnished to individuals who have been deported. The claim was denied on that eligibility basis.

Quick facts

Code
N126 (RARC N126)
Status
Active In use since October 17, 2002.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The payer will not pay because of the patient's recorded status. Whether the patient can be billed depends on your policies and any applicable rules.
  • PR (Patient Responsibility): Some payers assign the non-covered amount to the patient when coverage does not exist for the date of service.
Official description
Social Security Records indicate that this individual has been deported. This payer does not cover items and services furnished to individuals who have been deported.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N126 means

Payers that rely on Social Security data, most notably Medicare, use those records to determine entitlement. N126 is returned when that data shows the beneficiary was deported. Coverage does not extend to services furnished to someone in that status, so the claim is denied.

N126 is uncommon. When it appears for a patient who is actually present and receiving care in the United States, it often points to a data or identity issue rather than an accurate status.

Common causes

  • Social Security records reflect a past event that has not been updated.
  • The claim’s member ID, name, or date of birth matched another individual’s record.
  • The payer’s eligibility file was updated from government data that was later corrected.

What to do

  1. Verify identity data on the claim against the patient’s card and a current eligibility response.
  2. Correct any identity errors and send a corrected claim with resubmission code 7 in CMS-1500 box 22 and the original claim number.
  3. If the data is accurate on your side, explain the denial to the patient. Only the patient can ask the Social Security Administration to review their record.
  4. Request reprocessing once the payer confirms its records have changed. Keep track of timely filing while you wait.
  5. Handle the balance according to the group code and your financial policies if coverage is confirmed not to exist.

How to prevent it

Run an eligibility check before each visit rather than relying on a card presented months earlier. Eligibility responses flag entitlement problems early, giving the patient time to resolve them. The eligibility root-cause guide describes a verification workflow.

Codes that may appear with N126

  • CO-177 (Patient has not met the required eligibility requirements.): The patient has not met the required eligibility requirements.
  • CO-96 (Non-covered charge(s).): A non-covered charge, with N126 giving the reason.
  • N103 (Records indicate this patient was a prisoner or in custody of a Federal, State, or local authority when the service was rendered.): A comparable records-based exclusion for patients in government custody.
  • CO-31 (Patient cannot be identified as our insured.): The patient cannot be identified as the payer's insured.
  • PR-27 (Expenses incurred after coverage terminated.): Expenses incurred after coverage terminated.

N126 FAQ

What if the patient is clearly present and receiving care?

Records can be wrong, or can reflect a status that has since changed. The patient would need to resolve their record with the Social Security Administration; the payer can reprocess once its data is updated.

Could this be an identity mix-up?

Yes. A mismatched identifier or name can link the claim to another person's record. Verify the member ID, name, and date of birth before anything else.

Should I resubmit the claim?

Not until the underlying record or identity problem is fixed. Resubmitting unchanged will produce the same denial.