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N548 Remark Code: Calendar-Year Deductible Met

N548 is an alert that the patient's calendar year deductible has been met. Covered services later in the same calendar year should not be applied to the deductible, though coinsurance or co-payments may still apply.

Code: N548 (RARC N548)
Status: Active In use since March 6, 2012.
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: PR (Patient Responsibility): Any deductible applied on this claim, and any remaining cost-sharing, is patient responsibility. The alert explains that the deductible is now satisfied.
Official description: Alert: Patient's calendar year deductible has been met.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What N548 means

Most health plans require the patient to pay a deductible before the plan starts sharing costs. N548 tells you that, for this calendar year, the patient has now paid it in full. The claim carrying the alert may be the one that finished the deductible, or it may simply be a claim processed after it was met.

Nothing on the claim needs correcting. The alert is useful for patient balances and estimates.

What to do

Post the claim normally. Any CARC 1 amount on this claim is still patient responsibility.
Update the patient’s benefit information so future estimates for the rest of the calendar year exclude deductible.
Remember other cost-sharing. Coinsurance and co-payments usually continue after the deductible is met.
Check for family deductibles. Some plans have separate individual and family deductibles, and meeting one does not always mean the other is met.

Tracking deductible status helps front-desk staff give patients accurate estimates, and patients appreciate knowing when their costs drop for the rest of the year.

Codes that may appear with N548

PR-1 (Deductible Amount): Deductible amount, which may appear on the claim that completed the deductible.
PR-2 (Coinsurance Amount): Coinsurance that may still apply after the deductible is met.

N549 (Alert: Patient's calendar year out-of-pocket maximum has been met.): The patient's calendar year out-of-pocket maximum has been met.
N16 (Family/member Out-of-Pocket maximum has been met.): The family or member out-of-pocket maximum was met and payment is based on a higher percentage.

N548 FAQ

Does meeting the deductible mean the patient owes nothing?

Not necessarily. Coinsurance and co-payments usually continue until the out-of-pocket maximum is met.

What if the plan uses a plan year, not a calendar year?

N548 refers to a calendar year deductible. Plans that reset on a different date follow their own plan year.

Should I update estimates for future visits?

Yes. Future estimates for the rest of the calendar year should not include deductible, subject to the plan's rules and how claims process.

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