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N205 Remark Code: Information Was Illegible

N205 means the information the provider supplied, whether a paper claim or supporting documents, was illegible, so the payer could not use it to process the claim.

Quick facts

Code
N205 (RARC N205)
Status
Active In use since June 30, 2003; last modified March 14, 2014.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim was denied or held because the payer could not read what was sent. It's up to the provider to resend a legible version; patients shouldn't be billed.
  • OA (Other Adjustment): Some payers use OA when returning illegible paperwork without a final decision.
Official description
Information provided was illegible.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N205 means

Payers still receive a lot of paper: claim forms, faxed records, scanned attachments. N205 says that something you sent could not be read by the payer’s staff or scanning software. It is not a judgment on the content, only on readability, and it usually explains CARC 16 or CARC 252.

Common causes

  • Paper CMS-1500 or UB-04 forms printed on the wrong stock or in a colour that optical scanners cannot read, or with data outside the boxes.
  • Faxed records with dark backgrounds, streaks, or very small text.
  • Scans made at low resolution or saved in a compressed format that blurred text.
  • Handwritten progress notes or signatures that a reviewer could not decipher.
  • Pages rotated, cut off, or out of order.

How to fix it

  1. Find out what was illegible. The remittance may not say, so call the payer or read any accompanying letter.
  2. Create a clean copy: print from the electronic record rather than photocopying, or rescan at a higher resolution.
  3. For handwriting, consider adding a typed, signed transcription where the payer allows it.
  4. Resend through the payer’s preferred channel with a cover sheet that references the claim number.
  5. If the claim form itself was unreadable, submit a new claim electronically if possible.

How to prevent it

Send claims electronically whenever you can, and use electronic attachments or portal uploads instead of fax. If paper is unavoidable, use approved red-ink forms and check printer alignment. Spot-check outgoing record packets for quality before they leave the office.

Codes that may appear with N205

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks usable information because it could not be read.
  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment is required, and the one received was unreadable.
  • CO-226 (Information requested from the Billing/Rendering Provider was not provided or not provided timely or was insufficient/incomplete.): Information requested from the provider was not usable or was incomplete.
  • N206 (The supporting documentation does not match the information sent on the claim.): The documentation could be read but does not match the claim.
  • N705 (Incomplete/invalid documentation.): Documentation was incomplete or invalid for other reasons.
  • N706 (Missing documentation.): Documentation was missing entirely.

N205 FAQ

What makes a document illegible to a payer?

Faded print, low-resolution scans, faxes with streaks, handwriting that cannot be read, and pages cut off at the edges. Paper claims printed in the wrong ink or misaligned on the form can also fail scanning.

Should I send the whole claim again?

It depends on what was illegible. If it was an attachment, resend the attachment referencing the claim. If it was the paper claim itself, submit a clean claim, preferably electronically.

Can handwritten notes be accepted?

Usually, if a reviewer can read them. If a note is hard to read, some payers accept a typed transcription alongside the original, signed by the author.