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N235 Remark Code: Incomplete Pacemaker Registration Form

N235 means the pacemaker registration form submitted in support of the claim was incomplete or invalid. Payers that require it use the form to record the device and its implantation before paying related claims.

Quick facts

Code
N235 (RARC N235)
Status
Active In use since August 1, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The implant or related service was denied or held because the registration form was not acceptable. The provider corrects it; the patient is not liable.
Official description
Incomplete/invalid pacemaker registration form.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N235 means

Some payers maintain a record of implanted cardiac devices, captured through a pacemaker registration form. When they require it, claims for the implant or related follow-up may depend on it. N235 says the form exists but did not pass review. It usually appears with CARC 252.

Details that most often fail

Device claims are all about identifiers, so the problems tend to be precise ones:

  • A generator or lead serial number is missing, transposed, or does not match the device log.
  • The implant date differs from the procedure date on the claim.
  • The form identifies a different implanting physician or facility than the claim.
  • The form describes a new implant when the claim is for a replacement, or the reverse.

How to fix it

  1. Pull the device implant log and operative report and compare each identifier with the registration form.
  2. Correct the form using the implant records; ask the device representative to confirm serial numbers if needed.
  3. Make sure the form and claim agree on implant date, physician, facility, and whether the procedure was an initial implant or a replacement.
  4. Resend the corrected form with the claim reference, and submit a corrected claim with the original claim number if claim data also changed.

How to prevent it

Scan device stickers into the procedure record and populate the registration form directly from them. A second person should check identifiers on the form before submission.

Codes that may appear with N235

  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): Documentation, the registration form, is required to adjudicate the claim.
  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim or its support contains missing or invalid information.
  • M132 (Missing pacemaker registration form.): The pacemaker registration form was missing entirely.
  • N233 (Incomplete/invalid operative note/report.): The operative note or report was incomplete or invalid.
  • N150 (Missing/incomplete/invalid model number.): Missing or invalid model number, another device identification problem.

N235 FAQ

What information is on a pacemaker registration form?

Usually patient identifiers, device manufacturer, model and serial numbers of the generator and leads, implant date, implanting physician, and facility. Exact fields depend on the payer.

Who completes the form?

Typically the implanting facility or physician's office, often with help from device representatives who provide device identifiers.

Is the form required by every payer?

No. Only some payers or programs use a registration form. Check the payer's requirements for cardiac device claims.