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N57 Remark Code: Missing or Invalid Prescribing Date

N57 means the prescribing date on the claim was missing, incomplete, or invalid. Payers use the date the prescription or order was written to confirm it existed before the item was supplied and that it was still current.

Quick facts

Code
N57 (RARC N57)
Status
Active In use since January 1, 2000; last modified December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim is denied as a correctable billing error. It is not the patient's responsibility.
  • PI (Payer Initiated Reduction): Some government payers use a payer-initiated adjustment for the same issue.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid prescribing date.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N57 means

When a claim is for something a practitioner prescribed or ordered, the payer checks the timeline: was the order in place before the item was provided, and was it still valid? That check depends on the prescribing date. N57 says the date was absent, incomplete, or did not make sense, for example a future date or one after the delivery date.

It is usually paired with CARC 16. If the date shows the order was too old or came after delivery, you may see CARC 176 or CARC 174.

Common causes

  • The order date was not captured at intake, so the claim field was blank.
  • The date the order was received or scanned was used instead of the date it was signed.
  • A refill or renewal was billed with the original prescription date, which had expired.
  • The date format was wrong, or the month and day were swapped.
  • The prescription was dated after the item was delivered.

How to fix it

  1. Pull the signed order or prescription and confirm the date the practitioner signed it.
  2. Compare it with the dispensing or delivery date to make sure the order came first and was still valid.
  3. Correct the date in the claim’s prescription or order date field, or the pharmacy claim’s date-written field.
  4. Obtain a new order if the original was expired, before billing further items.
  5. Resubmit as a corrected claim (resubmission code 7) or, for pharmacy, reverse and rebill.

How to prevent it

Make the order date a required field at intake, separate from the received date. Track order expiration dates and request renewals from prescribers before they lapse, especially for ongoing supplies and equipment rentals.

Codes that may appear with N57

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Required information is missing; N57 identifies the prescribing date.
  • CO-176 (Prescription is not current.): The prescription is not current, which can follow when the prescribing date is too old.
  • CO-174 (Service was not prescribed prior to delivery.): The service was not prescribed before delivery, which the prescribing date is meant to show.
  • N304 (Missing/incomplete/invalid dispensed date.): The dispensed date is missing or invalid.
  • N31 (Missing/incomplete/invalid prescribing provider identifier.): The prescribing provider's identifier is missing or invalid.
  • CO-175 (Prescription is incomplete.): The prescription itself is incomplete.

N57 FAQ

What types of claims need a prescribing date?

Pharmacy claims, durable medical equipment, orthotics, prosthetics, medical supplies, and some therapy services commonly require the date of the prescription or order. Payer requirements vary.

Can the prescribing date be after the date of service?

Generally not. A prescription or order written after delivery suggests the item was provided without a valid order, which can lead to a denial even after the date is corrected.

How old can a prescription be?

It depends on the item, the payer, and state rules. Many payers require renewed orders at set intervals, and pharmacy prescriptions have their own validity limits.