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N152 Remark Code: Invalid Replacement Claim Information

N152 means the replacement claim information was missing, incomplete, or invalid. The payer could not link the corrected claim to the original, usually because the frequency code or the original claim (payer control) number was missing or wrong.

Quick facts

Code
N152 (RARC N152)
Status
Active In use since October 31, 2002.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The replacement could not be processed. Fix the replacement data and resubmit; it is not a patient balance.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid replacement claim information.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N152 means

A replacement claim tells the payer: undo what you did with claim X and process this version instead. For that to work, the payer needs two things: an indicator that this is a replacement, and the identifier of the claim being replaced. N152 means one or both were missing or did not match anything.

It usually pairs with CARC 16. The underlying services are not in question.

Common causes

  • Box 22 had the resubmission code 7 but no original reference number, or the reverse.
  • The practice’s internal claim ID was entered instead of the payer’s claim control number.
  • The original claim number came from a different payer, or from a claim that was later adjusted and given a new number.
  • Digits were transposed or truncated.
  • An institutional claim used the wrong type-of-bill frequency digit.

How to fix it

  1. Find the original remittance and copy the payer’s claim control number exactly.
  2. Confirm the original was processed, not rejected or fully denied. If it was denied, some payers want a new claim instead (see N142).
  3. Set the frequency or resubmission code to 7 and enter the original number in box 22 or the matching 837 field.
  4. Resubmit and confirm the payer shows it linked to the original.

How to prevent it

Pull the payer claim control number automatically from the posted ERA into your claim correction workflow, so staff never type it manually. The rejection vs denial guide explains which outcomes can be replaced and which need a new claim.

Codes that may appear with N152

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication; N152 identifies replacement claim data.
  • CO-129 (Prior processing information appears incorrect.): Prior processing information appears incorrect.
  • N142 (The original claim was denied.): The original was denied, so submit a new claim rather than a replacement.
  • N377 (Payment based on a processed replacement claim.): Payment is based on a processed replacement claim.
  • N798 (Submit a void request for the original claim and resubmit a new claim.): Void the original claim and submit a new one.

N152 FAQ

Where does the original claim number go?

On the CMS-1500, box 22 holds the resubmission code (7 for replacement, 8 for void) and the original reference number. On an 837, the frequency code and the payer's claim control number from the original remittance are reported at the claim level.

Which number is the 'original claim number'?

The payer's claim control number from the remittance for the original claim, not your own account or invoice number.

What if the original was processed under a different payer ID?

The replacement must go to the same payer that processed the original. Otherwise it cannot be matched.