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N625 Remark Code: Invalid Workers' Comp Claim Number

N625 means the workers' compensation claim number on the bill is missing, incomplete, or invalid. The carrier uses that number to match your bill to the injured worker's case, so it cannot process the bill until the number is correct.

Quick facts

Code
N625 (RARC N625)
Status
Active In use since July 15, 2013.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): A billing data error the provider must fix. The injured worker should not be billed.
Official description
Missing/Incomplete/Invalid Workers' Compensation Claim Number.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N625 means

Every workers’ compensation case gets a claim number from the carrier. It ties together the injured worker, the employer, the date of injury, and every bill. N625 says the number on your bill is absent, cut off, or not one the carrier recognizes, so your bill can’t be attached to a case.

It usually comes with CARC 16, and sometimes CARC 31.

Common causes

  • The bill went out before the carrier assigned a claim number.
  • The employer’s policy number or an internal reference was used instead.
  • Digits were transposed or a prefix or suffix was left off.
  • The number was placed in a field the carrier doesn’t read for claim numbers.
  • The worker has more than one claim and the wrong one was used.

How to fix it

  1. Get the correct number from the adjuster, the carrier’s acknowledgment letter, or the employer.
  2. Confirm the matching date of injury, since the two should agree.
  3. Put the number where the carrier expects it, following state or carrier instructions.
  4. Resubmit. If the original was processed and denied, send a corrected bill with resubmission code 7; if it was rejected, send it as a new bill.

How to prevent it

Make the claim number a required field for workers’ comp registrations and verify it with the carrier before the first bill. Claims Validator can catch missing or malformed identifiers before submission. See also missing or invalid information denials.

Codes that may appear with N625

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information or has a submission error; N625 names the WC claim number.
  • CO-31 (Patient cannot be identified as our insured.): The patient can't be identified, which can happen when the claim number doesn't match.
  • N624 (The associated Workers' Compensation claim has been withdrawn.): The associated workers' compensation claim has been withdrawn.
  • N622 (Not covered based on the date of injury/accident.): Not covered based on the date of injury.
  • N382 (Missing/incomplete/invalid patient identifier.): The patient identifier is missing or invalid.

N625 FAQ

Where does the claim number go on a CMS-1500?

Workers' comp carriers commonly expect it in box 1a or box 11, and some states specify exact placement. Follow the carrier's or state's billing instructions.

What if the carrier hasn't assigned a claim number yet?

Contact the employer or carrier to confirm the injury was reported. Some carriers accept bills with other identifying details while a claim is being set up, but many will not process without one.

Is the claim number the same as the policy number?

No. The policy number identifies the employer's coverage; the claim number identifies this worker's injury.