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N267 Remark Code: Ordering Provider Secondary ID

N267 means the ordering provider's secondary identifier was missing, incomplete, or invalid. That is a number other than the NPI, such as a state license or payer-assigned ID, that the payer requires to identify the ordering clinician.

Quick facts

Code
N267 (RARC N267)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The billing provider must supply or fix the identifier. The adjustment is not the patient's responsibility.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid ordering provider secondary identifier.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N267 means

The ordering provider is primarily identified by NPI. A minority of payers also want a secondary identifier: a state license number, a Medicaid ID, or a number the payer assigned. On paper this goes in box 17a with a qualifier; on an 837P it is a reference number attached to the ordering provider.

N267 says that value was missing or wrong. It usually rides with CARC 16, so the claim can be corrected and resubmitted rather than appealed.

Common causes

  • A payer-specific requirement for an ordering license number was not set up in your system.
  • Box 17a had a number but no qualifier, or a qualifier describing a different kind of ID.
  • The ordering clinician’s license number was mistyped, expired, or from another state.
  • A secondary ID was sent to a payer that has retired secondary IDs and now rejects them.

How to fix it

  1. Confirm with the payer’s billing instructions whether a secondary ID for ordering providers is required at all.
  2. If it is, get the correct value, usually from the ordering office or the payer’s provider lookup.
  3. Enter the qualifier and number in box 17a or the equivalent 837P field.
  4. If the payer does not require one, remove the secondary ID so the NPI stands alone.
  5. Resubmit with frequency code 7 and the original claim number.

How to prevent it

Keep secondary-ID rules at the payer level in your billing system, so staff don’t need to remember which plans want what. When you onboard a new payer, read its companion guide for ordering and referring provider requirements before the first claim goes out.

For more on why N-codes like this one travel with a reason code, see our CARC and RARC guide.

Codes that may appear with N267

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing or invalid information; N267 names the ordering provider's secondary ID.
  • N265 (Missing/incomplete/invalid ordering provider primary identifier.): The ordering provider's primary identifier (NPI) is the problem.
  • N287 (Missing/incomplete/invalid referring provider secondary identifier.): The same secondary-ID issue for a referring provider.
  • N754 (Missing/incomplete/invalid Referring Provider or Other Source Qualifier on the 1500 Claim Form.): Flags a missing or invalid referring provider or other source qualifier on the 1500 form.

N267 FAQ

Where does the ordering secondary ID go?

Box 17a of the CMS-1500 holds a qualifier and an identifier for the provider in box 17. Electronically it is a reference identifier in the ordering provider section.

Do most payers still require it?

No. Most payers rely on the NPI alone. N267 tends to come from payers that still ask for a license number or proprietary ID, so check that payer's instructions.

Could the qualifier be the problem?

Yes. Box 17a needs a qualifier that says what kind of number follows; a correct number with the wrong or missing qualifier can still be rejected.