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N297 Remark Code: Supervising Provider NPI Invalid

N297 means the supervising provider's primary identifier, their NPI, was missing, incomplete, or invalid. The payer could not confirm which enrolled clinician supervised the service.

Code: N297 (RARC N297)
Status: Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): A provider-correctable identifier issue; the patient is not billed for the adjustment.
Official description: Missing/incomplete/invalid supervising provider primary identifier.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What N297 means

The supervising provider NPI tells the payer which enrolled clinician oversaw a service performed by someone else. N297 means the payer needed that NPI and did not find a valid one. If the qualifier in box 17 said DQ but 17b was blank, malformed, or pointed to the wrong person, this is the remark you get.

It usually shows up next to CARC 16 or an NPI-specific reason code.

Common causes

Blank 17b. The supervising name was entered, but not the NPI.
Group NPI used. The practice’s organizational NPI was put in the supervising role.
Wrong qualifier. The number was valid but box 17 said DN (referring) rather than DQ, so the payer found no supervising NPI.
Typos or stale data. A mistyped digit, or an NPI for a physician who has since left the group.
Enrollment mismatch. The supervising clinician is not enrolled with this payer or not linked to your group.

How to fix it

Identify the supervisor on the date of service from staffing or clinical documentation.
Confirm their individual NPI in NPPES and their enrollment status with the payer.
Correct box 17 (with DQ) and 17b, or the 837P supervising provider section.
Rebill as a replacement claim with frequency code 7.

If supervising enrollment is the underlying problem, the provider enrollment denials guide walks through the checks.

How to prevent it

Record the supervising clinician as a discrete field on encounters that require one, so it doesn’t depend on someone remembering to fill box 17. Validate the NPI and qualifier together before submission, and keep departed clinicians out of the selectable supervisor list once their last day passes.

Codes that may appear with N297

CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing or invalid information; N297 specifies the supervising provider NPI.
CO-206 (National Provider Identifier - missing.): The NPI is missing.
CO-208 (National Provider Identifier - Not matched.): The NPI didn't match the payer's records.

N296 (Missing/incomplete/invalid supervising provider name.): The supervising provider's name is the problem.
N290 (Missing/incomplete/invalid rendering provider primary identifier.): The rendering provider's NPI is the problem.
M136 (Missing/incomplete/invalid indication that the service was supervised or evaluated by a physician.): Missing or invalid indication that a physician supervised or evaluated the service.

N297 FAQ

Where does the supervising NPI go?

Box 17b of the CMS-1500, with the supervising provider's name in box 17 preceded by DQ. The 837P reports it in the supervising provider section.

Can the supervising NPI be the same as the rendering NPI?

Supervision implies two different clinicians. If the same clinician performed the service, they are the rendering provider and a supervising provider generally isn't reported.

Does the supervisor need to be enrolled?

Many payers expect the supervising clinician to be enrolled. A valid but unenrolled NPI may still lead to a denial.

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