Skip to main content

N289 Remark Code: Rendering Provider Name Missing

N289 means the rendering provider's name was missing, incomplete, or invalid. The payer could not accept the name of the clinician who performed the service, usually because it was blank or did not match the rendering NPI.

Quick facts

Code
N289 (RARC N289)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The provider corrects the name and resubmits. The adjustment is not the patient's responsibility.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid rendering provider name.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N289 means

On a group practice claim, the rendering provider is the individual clinician who actually performed the service. Electronic claims identify that person by NPI, plus a last and first name. N289 says the name part was missing or didn’t meet the payer’s rules.

Payers usually list N289 beside CARC 16. There is no clinical or coverage judgment here; the payer wants a complete, consistent rendering provider record.

What typically causes it

Most N289 remarks come from one of these setup or data issues:

  • Only the NPI mapped. A system migration left the rendering provider’s name fields empty in the 837P output.
  • Formatting mistakes. Credentials such as “PA-C” or “LCSW” in the last-name field, or first and last names reversed.
  • Organization entered as rendering. The group’s name appears in the rendering fields, which should always hold an individual.
  • Name changes. The clinician’s legal name changed and the billing system and NPPES disagree.
  • Wrong clinician. A covering provider performed the service, but the scheduled clinician’s details were billed.

How to fix it

  1. Confirm from the note who performed the service.
  2. Check that clinician’s registered name in NPPES.
  3. Update the rendering provider’s profile so both name and NPI match that record.
  4. Look at the outgoing claim data to confirm the name fields populate.
  5. Submit a replacement claim with frequency code 7.

How to prevent it

Make the rendering clinician’s name come from the provider master, never from free text on the encounter. After system changes, audit a sample of 837P files to confirm all rendering fields are filled. The CARC 16 guide lists other missing-information remarks worth building edits for.

Codes that may appear with N289

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information; N289 points to the rendering provider's name.
  • N290 (Missing/incomplete/invalid rendering provider primary identifier.): The rendering provider's NPI is the problem.
  • N288 (Missing/incomplete/invalid rendering provider taxonomy.): The rendering provider's taxonomy is the problem.
  • N256 (Missing/incomplete/invalid billing provider/supplier name.): The billing provider's name is the problem.

N289 FAQ

Where is the rendering provider name on a claim?

Electronic 837P claims carry the rendering provider's last and first name with the rendering NPI. The paper CMS-1500 identifies the rendering clinician mainly through the NPI in box 24J, with the signature in box 31.

When is a separate rendering provider needed?

Typically when the billing provider is a group and an individual clinician performed the service. A solo provider billing under their own NPI may not need a separate rendering provider.

Can a nickname cause N289?

Yes. Payers compare names with registration data, so a preferred name can fail where the legal name would pass.