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N13 Remark Code: Paid on 26 or TC Component Modifier

N13 means the payment was based on the professional or technical component modifier on the line. Instead of paying the global rate, the payer paid only the component identified by modifier 26 (professional) or TC (technical).

Quick facts

Code
N13 (RARC N13)
Status
Active In use since January 1, 2000.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The difference between the global rate and the component payment is a contractual adjustment for the provider.
  • PR (Patient Responsibility): Patient deductible or coinsurance calculated on the component allowance.
Official description
Payment based on professional/technical component modifier(s).
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N13 means

Many diagnostic services, such as imaging, some cardiology tests, and pathology, have two parts: the technical component (equipment, staff, supplies) and the professional component (interpretation and report). They can be billed together as a global service or separately using modifier 26 for the professional component and TC for the technical component. N13 tells you the payer priced the line as a component rather than as a global service.

Most of the time N13 is simply informational and appears with CARC 45. It deserves a closer look when the modifier does not reflect what you actually did.

Common causes

  • The line was billed with modifier 26 or TC, and the payer paid that component as expected.
  • A modifier was added by charge capture rules or a coder when the practice actually performed the whole service.
  • The service was performed in a facility setting where the payer only recognizes the professional component from the physician.
  • The practice does not own the equipment, so only the interpretation is payable.

What to do

  1. Confirm what was performed. Check whether your practice provided the equipment and staff, the interpretation, or both.
  2. Check the place of service in box 24B. Facility settings usually mean the physician bills only the professional component.
  3. Correct the modifier if needed in box 24D and resubmit as a corrected claim.
  4. If the component payment looks low, compare it to your contracted rate for that component and date.

How to prevent it

  • Build charge rules that add 26 or TC based on place of service and equipment ownership.
  • Review component billing when you add new locations or reading arrangements.
  • Train coders on which services have split components and which do not.

Codes that may appear with N13

  • CO-45 (Charge exceeds fee schedule/maximum allowable or contracted/legislated fee arrangement.): The charge was reduced to the component allowance rather than the global fee.
  • CO-4 (The procedure code is inconsistent with the modifier used.): The procedure code was inconsistent with the modifier, which can accompany N13 when the component modifier was not appropriate.
  • CO-89 (Professional fees removed from charges.): Professional fees removed from charges, as when only the technical side is payable.
  • CO-134 (Technical fees removed from charges.): Technical fees removed from charges, as when only the professional side is payable.
  • N184 (Rebill technical and professional components separately.): Asks you to rebill the technical and professional components separately.
  • N195 (The technical component must be billed separately.): The technical component must be billed on its own.
  • N200 (The professional component must be billed separately.): The professional component must be billed on its own.
  • N194 (Technical component not paid if provider does not own the equipment used.): The technical component is not paid when the provider does not own the equipment.

N13 FAQ

Is N13 a denial?

No. It explains a component-based payment. It is only a problem if you intended a global bill or the wrong modifier was used.

What if I performed both components?

Bill the service globally without 26 or TC. If you billed with a component modifier by mistake, submit a corrected claim with resubmission code 7.

Can two providers bill the same service?

Yes, when the components are split. For example, a facility or imaging center may bill the technical component while the interpreting physician bills the professional component.