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N555 Remark Code: Medication List Not Received

N555 means the payer required the patient's medication list to adjudicate the claim or service and did not receive it. The list documents the drugs the patient is taking, and the service is held or denied until it is submitted.

Quick facts

Code
N555 (RARC N555)
Status
Active In use since July 1, 2012.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim is held or denied for missing documentation the provider can supply. Do not bill the patient.
Official description
Missing medication list.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N555 means

A medication list is a record of every drug the patient is taking: prescriptions, and often over-the-counter products and supplements. For some services, it is the core evidence that the work billed actually happened, for example when a service involves reviewing and reconciling a patient’s medications.

N555 says the payer wanted that list and did not get it. The remark is usually attached to specific lines with CARC 252 or CARC 16.

Common causes

  • The payer’s policy requires a medication list for this service, and the claim went out without attachments.
  • A records request from the payer was sent to the wrong department or not answered.
  • The list was submitted without identifiers and could not be matched to the claim.
  • The medication list was documented in the EHR but not included in the records packet.

How to fix it

  1. Identify the service the payer is reviewing and the dates it covers.
  2. Pull the medication list from the record for those dates, as documented at the time of service.
  3. Submit it through the payer’s attachment process, labeled with the patient, dates of service, and claim number.
  4. Request reprocessing, or send a corrected claim or reconsideration if the payer has closed the claim.
  5. Confirm receipt and follow up if the claim is not reprocessed within the payer’s review timeframe.

How to prevent it

For services where medication review is a core element, make sure the medication list is updated and signed at each visit and included automatically in any records packet sent for that service.

Codes that may appear with N555

  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment is required; the missing attachment is the medication list.
  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacked information needed for adjudication.
  • CO-226 (Information requested from the Billing/Rendering Provider was not provided or not provided timely or was insufficient/incomplete.): The payer requested the information from the provider and did not receive it.
  • N556 (Incomplete/invalid medication list.): A medication list was received but was incomplete or invalid.
  • M123 (Missing/incomplete/invalid name, strength, or dosage of the drug furnished.): The name, strength, or dosage of a drug furnished is missing or invalid, a claim-level field rather than a list.
  • N729 (Missing patient medical/dental record for this service.): Missing patient medical or dental record for the service.

N555 FAQ

Which services might need a medication list?

Payers may ask for one when reviewing services where medications are central, such as medication management or reconciliation, care transitions, certain drug administration, or home health. Requirements vary by payer.

What should the list include?

Typically each drug's name, strength, dose, route, and frequency, and often the prescriber and start date. Follow any format the payer specifies.

Can I send the whole chart?

You can if the payer allows, but make sure the medication list is clearly included. Sending only what was requested speeds up review and limits disclosure of unnecessary information.