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N368 Remark Code: Appeal the Prior Claim, Don't Rebill

N368 means the payer will not reprocess this submission because the service was already adjudicated on a previous claim. If you disagree with that earlier decision, you must appeal it rather than send the claim again.

Quick facts

Code
N368 (RARC N368)
Status
Active In use since April 1, 2006.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The resubmitted claim was denied because the original decision stands. The provider must use the appeal process; the patient is not billed for this line.
  • OA (Other Adjustment): Some payers report the rejected resubmission as an other adjustment because the money was already handled on the original claim.
Official description
You must appeal the determination of the previously adjudicated claim.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N368 means

When a payer denies or underpays a service, sending the same claim again doesn’t restart the decision. The payer already ruled on it. N368 is the response when you try: the payer points you back to its original determination and tells you that the proper route is an appeal of that earlier claim.

N368 commonly appears with CARC 18 (duplicate) or B13 (previously paid), and sometimes with CARC 285 (appeal procedures not followed).

Common causes

  • Staff resubmitted a denied claim unchanged, hoping it would process differently.
  • A claim was rebilled as new when the goal was to dispute the payment amount.
  • A corrected claim was sent, but nothing that affected the decision was actually changed.
  • Clearinghouse settings automatically resubmit unpaid claims after a set number of days.

What to do

  1. Find the original claim and its remittance. Note the claim number, the denial reason, and the date of the decision.
  2. Check your appeal window. Payer deadlines vary, and the clock generally starts at the original determination.
  3. Build the appeal. Explain why the decision is wrong and attach supporting records, contract terms, or policy citations.
  4. Submit through the payer’s appeal channel, not as a claim. Many payers have a specific form or portal.
  5. Void or ignore the rejected resubmission so it doesn’t confuse your A/R.

How to prevent it

Train staff to classify every denial as either a data problem (corrected claim) or a decision dispute (appeal) before acting. Turn off automatic resubmission of adjudicated claims, and tie follow-up work queues to the original claim number.

Codes that may appear with N368

  • OA-18 (Exact duplicate claim/service (Use only with Group Code OA except where state workers' compensation regulations requires CO)): Exact duplicate claim or service, which a resubmission of an adjudicated claim often looks like.
  • CO-B13 (Previously paid.): Previously paid; payment may have been made on the earlier claim.
  • CO-285 (Appeal procedures not followed): Appeal procedures were not followed.
  • N380 (The original claim has been processed, submit a corrected claim.): Tells you to submit a corrected claim rather than a new one, the path when you are fixing data rather than disputing a decision.
  • N142 (The original claim was denied.): Says the original claim was denied and you should submit a new claim, not a replacement.
  • N702 (Decision based on review of previously adjudicated claims or for claims in process for the same/similar type of services.): Says the decision was based on review of previously adjudicated or in-process claims.

N368 FAQ

What is the difference between a corrected claim and an appeal?

A corrected claim fixes data you billed wrong. An appeal asks the payer to reconsider its decision on data that was right. N368 says this situation needs an appeal.

Can I still appeal the original claim?

Yes, if you are within the payer's appeal time limit. Use the original claim number and include the reasons and documentation for reconsideration.

Will resubmitting again help?

No. Repeated resubmissions are likely to keep denying and may be flagged as duplicates.