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N133 Remark Code: Predetermination Processed Separately

N133 is an alert that the submission included both services requesting predetermination and services requesting payment, and the payer is processing them separately. The predetermination results and the payment results will come back on different responses.

Code: N133 (RARC N133)
Status: Active In use since October 31, 2002; last modified April 1, 2007.
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: OA (Other Adjustment): The alert is informational. Any adjustment on the paid services is explained by its own reason code.
Official description: Alert: Services for predetermination and services requesting payment are being processed separately.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What N133 means

Dental and some medical claim forms allow a provider to ask for a predetermination (an estimate of benefits before treatment) and to bill completed services. When both kinds of lines arrive together, the payer splits them. N133 tells you that happened, so you know to expect a second response.

What to do

Post the completed services from this remittance as usual.
Watch for the predetermination response and file it with the treatment plan.
Share the estimate with the patient before starting the planned treatment.
Consider separating submissions in the future so each response matches one request.

Keeping predetermination requests and payment claims separate makes it easier to track both in your system and avoid confusion over which response answers which request.

Codes that may appear with N133

CO-101 (Predetermination: anticipated payment upon completion of services or claim adjudication.): Predetermination: anticipated payment upon completion of services, reported for the predetermination portion.

N183 (Alert: This is a predetermination advisory message, when this service is submitted for payment additional documentation as specified in plan…): A predetermination advisory noting documentation needed when the service is later billed.
N915 (Predetermination of services is not allowed under the member's plan.): Says predetermination is not allowed under the member's plan.
N134 (Alert: This represents your scheduled payment for this service.): Reports a scheduled payment, common in dental treatment plans that were predetermined.

N133 FAQ

Where do I see the predetermination result?

On a separate response or remittance from the payer. It will show the anticipated benefit, not an actual payment.

Should I resubmit anything?

No. Wait for both responses. Resubmitting can create duplicate predetermination requests or duplicate claims.

Is it better to send them separately?

Often, yes. Sending predetermination requests and claims as separate submissions makes tracking simpler.

Important: read before using this information

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