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N293 Remark Code: Service Facility NPI Invalid

N293 means the service facility's primary identifier, the NPI in box 32a or the electronic equivalent, was missing, incomplete, or invalid. The payer could not verify the location where services were furnished.

Quick facts

Code
N293 (RARC N293)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): Correctable location data; fix the facility NPI and resubmit. The patient is not liable.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid service facility primary identifier.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N293 means

The service facility NPI identifies the specific location where care was delivered. On the CMS-1500 it goes in box 32a; on an 837P it belongs to the service facility location section. Payers use it to confirm that the location exists, is the one billed, and in some cases that it is enrolled or linked to your group. N293 means that identifier wasn’t there or wasn’t acceptable.

Expect N293 with CARC 16, sometimes with CARC 207 or 208 describing the kind of NPI failure.

Common causes

  • Box 32 had a name and address but box 32a was blank.
  • The billing group’s NPI was used instead of the facility’s.
  • The rendering clinician’s individual NPI was put in 32a.
  • The facility has several NPIs (for departments or subparts) and the wrong one was used.
  • Your group opened a new location but only the billing NPI was enrolled with the payer, not the location.

How to fix it

  1. Confirm where the service was delivered.
  2. Find the correct NPI for that location in NPPES; for large facilities, confirm which subpart NPI applies.
  3. Enter it in box 32a with the facility’s name and address in box 32 so all three agree.
  4. If the payer requires practice locations to be enrolled, check enrollment before rebilling. The provider enrollment guide explains location enrollment in general terms.
  5. Resubmit with frequency code 7 and the original claim number.

How to prevent it

Keep NPIs in your location directory, not typed per claim. When you add a location, get its NPI, update NPPES, and notify payers before the first appointment there. Validate check digits on every NPI on the claim, including the facility’s.

Codes that may appear with N293

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing or invalid information; N293 names the service facility's NPI.
  • CO-207 (National Provider identifier - Invalid format): The NPI failed format validation.
  • CO-208 (National Provider Identifier - Not matched.): The NPI didn't match the payer's records.
  • N292 (Missing/incomplete/invalid service facility name.): The service facility's name is the problem.
  • N294 (Missing/incomplete/invalid service facility primary address.): The service facility's address is the problem.
  • N295 (Missing/incomplete/invalid service facility secondary identifier.): The service facility's secondary identifier is the problem.
  • N278 (Missing/incomplete/invalid other payer service facility provider identifier.): The prior payer's identifier for the service facility is the problem, on a secondary claim.

N293 FAQ

Whose NPI goes in box 32a?

The NPI of the facility or location named in box 32, such as a hospital or another practice location. It is not the rendering clinician's NPI.

What if our own office is the service location?

If services were performed at the billing provider's address, many payers do not want box 32 populated at all. Other payers require it for every claim; follow the payer's instructions.

Can a facility's NPI be valid but still fail?

Yes. If the NPI is valid but doesn't match the name or address in box 32, or the payer requires the location to be enrolled, the claim can still fail.