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N496 Remark Code: Supplemental Report Incomplete

N496 means the workers' compensation or other injury carrier received a supplemental medical report but found it incomplete or invalid. It may not answer the carrier's question, may lack required content or a signature, or may not match the claim or dates billed.

Quick facts

Code
N496 (RARC N496)
Status
Active In use since July 1, 2008.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The provider needs to correct the report. Injured workers generally are not billed for compensable care while this is resolved.
Official description
Incomplete/invalid Supplemental Medical Report.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N496 means

N496 follows the same logic as N495, one step later: the supplemental report reached the carrier, but the reviewer could not accept it. On a workers’ compensation or other injury claim, that means the adjuster still lacks a usable update on the patient, and bills that depend on it stay unresolved.

Typical reasons a report fails

  • It does not answer the question. The adjuster asked about causation, a new treatment, or work capacity, and the report addresses something else.
  • Missing core content. No updated diagnosis, objective findings, treatment plan, or work restrictions.
  • Wrong format. The state or carrier expects a particular form or report type.
  • No signature, or the wrong signer. Some jurisdictions require the primary treating physician to author or co-sign.
  • Claim details do not match. The claim number, date of injury, or body part differs from the carrier’s file.

How to fix it

  1. Read the carrier’s request or rejection notice to see exactly what is lacking.
  2. Revise the report so it covers each point, with the treating provider authoring the clinical content.
  3. Label it as a corrected or amended report and include the claim number on every page.
  4. Resubmit by the carrier’s required method and ask that the related bills be reconsidered.
  5. Escalate to the adjuster or the state dispute process if you believe the original report met the requirements.

How to prevent it

When an adjuster sends a specific question, answer it in a clearly labeled section of the report. Keep a template for each state you bill that lists that jurisdiction’s required elements, and have staff compare each report to the template before sending.

Codes that may appear with N496

  • CO-251 (The attachment/other documentation that was received was incomplete or deficient.): The documentation was received but was deficient.
  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing or invalid information prevented adjudication.
  • CO-P1 (State-mandated Requirement for Property and Casualty, see Claim Payment Remarks Code for specific explanation.): Used when a state reporting requirement for property and casualty claims was not satisfied.
  • N495 (Missing Supplemental Medical Report.): No supplemental report was received.
  • N494 (Incomplete/invalid Doctor First Report of Injury.): The initial first report of injury, rather than a follow-up report, is deficient.
  • N504 (Incomplete/invalid Work Status Report.): The work status report specifically is incomplete or invalid.

N496 FAQ

Why would a supplemental report be rejected if it was signed?

A signature is only one requirement. The carrier may need specific content such as updated findings, the treatment plan, work status, or an answer to a question the adjuster asked.

Can I send the visit note instead?

Some carriers accept a detailed note, and some require a specific form or narrative. If the note does not contain what the carrier needs, it will still be treated as incomplete.

Is this a denial of treatment?

Not directly. It means the carrier could not use the report. Treatment decisions follow once it has a complete one.