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N150 Remark Code: Missing or Invalid Model Number

N150 means the model number for the item billed was missing, incomplete, or invalid. Payers use the model number to confirm exactly which product was supplied, most often for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, or devices.

Quick facts

Code
N150 (RARC N150)
Status
Active In use since October 31, 2002.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim is incomplete. The supplier corrects the model number and resubmits; the patient is not billed for the error.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid model number.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N150 means

A HCPCS code often describes a category of product, not one specific item. When the payer needs to know exactly what was delivered, whether to price a miscellaneous code, confirm a repair, or check that the product qualifies for the code, it asks for the manufacturer’s model number. N150 means that number was absent or did not check out.

It almost always pairs with CARC 16.

Common causes

  • The model number was not entered because the billing template does not have a field for it.
  • The number was put in a field the payer does not read.
  • A catalog or part number was used instead of the model number.
  • The model number belongs to a different product than the code billed.
  • The item was substituted at delivery, and the claim still shows the originally ordered model.

How to fix it

  1. Check the delivery ticket or equipment record for the exact manufacturer and model number.
  2. Confirm the payer’s reporting location for model numbers, and make sure the number fits the code billed.
  3. Correct the claim. Send a corrected claim with resubmission code 7 in CMS-1500 box 22 and the original claim number, or a new claim if the original was rejected.
  4. Attach product information such as a manufacturer spec sheet if the payer asks for it.

How to prevent it

Store the model number with each item in inventory and pull it onto the claim automatically at billing. For codes a payer lists as needing a model number, make the field mandatory before the claim is released. Claims Validator can check that required supplemental data is present before submission.

Codes that may appear with N150

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication; N150 identifies the model number.
  • CO-A1 (Claim/Service denied.): A general denial that relies on N150 for the specific missing item.
  • N108 (Missing/incomplete/invalid upgrade information.): Missing or invalid upgrade information, another DME-specific data requirement.
  • N170 (A new/revised/renewed certificate of medical necessity is needed.): A new, revised, or renewed certificate of medical necessity is needed.
  • N171 (Payment for repair or replacement is not covered or has exceeded the purchase price.): Payment for repair or replacement is not covered or exceeds the purchase price.

N150 FAQ

Where does the model number go on the claim?

Payers vary. On paper claims it is often entered in the shaded supplemental area of box 24 or in box 19; electronically it goes in the line-level note or description field the payer specifies. Check the payer's DME billing guide.

Which items need a model number?

Payers typically require it for certain equipment, such as items billed with miscellaneous codes, repairs, and some devices. Their policy lists the codes that need it.

What makes a model number invalid?

A number that does not exist for the manufacturer, that does not match the code billed, or that is on the payer's list of products not approved for that code.