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N312 Remark Code: Begin Therapy Date Invalid

N312 means the date therapy began was missing, incomplete, or invalid. Payers use the begin therapy date to measure treatment episodes, plan-of-care periods, and equipment or drug therapy timelines.

Quick facts

Code
N312 (RARC N312)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): A correctable date issue; the provider fixes it and resubmits. The patient is not responsible.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid begin therapy date.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N312 means

Therapy, whether physical, occupational, or speech therapy, oxygen, or another ongoing treatment, is usually managed in episodes. The begin therapy date anchors that episode. Payers measure plan-of-care periods, recertification deadlines, and visit limits from it. N312 says the date was missing or failed validation.

Expect to see it with CARC 16.

Common causes

  • Not carried to the claim. The evaluation date exists in the chart, but the billing system never received it as the start of therapy.
  • Wrong reference point. The referral date or the order date was reported instead of the actual first treatment date.
  • Stale episode. A patient started a new course of treatment, but the claim still shows the previous episode’s begin date.
  • Logic errors. The begin date is after the date of service, or the end therapy date is earlier than the begin date.
  • Missing occurrence data. On institutional therapy claims, the occurrence code and date marking when therapy started were not reported.

How to fix it

  1. Identify the current episode of care and the first treatment date under the active plan of care or order.
  2. Correct the begin therapy date on the claim, and make sure related dates (certification, plan of care, end therapy) are consistent.
  3. For facility claims, confirm the therapy-start occurrence code and date are present and correct.
  4. Resubmit with frequency code 7 and the original claim number.

How to prevent it

Make the start of each therapy episode a discrete event in your system, created when the evaluation or first treatment is completed. Every later claim for that episode should read its begin date from that record. When a patient is discharged and later returns, open a new episode rather than editing the old one. For volume-related therapy denials, see our units of service guide.

Codes that may appear with N312

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing or invalid information; N312 names the begin therapy date.
  • N780 (Missing/incomplete/invalid end therapy date.): The end therapy date is missing or invalid.
  • N238 (Incomplete/invalid physician certified plan of care.): The physician-certified plan of care is incomplete or invalid.
  • N313 (Missing/incomplete/invalid certification revision date.): The certification revision date is missing or invalid.

N312 FAQ

What kinds of claims need a begin therapy date?

Outpatient therapy under a plan of care, some durable medical equipment such as oxygen, and certain drug or infusion therapies. Requirements vary by payer and program.

Is the begin therapy date the same as the first visit?

Often it is the first treatment date under the current plan of care or order. It isn't necessarily the patient's first-ever visit with your practice.

What if the patient restarted therapy after a break?

A new episode may need a new begin date. How payers define a new episode differs, so check their rules.