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N667 Remark Code: Prescription Not Received

N667 means the prescription the payer needs to process the claim is missing. Items and services that require a prescriber's order, such as equipment, supplies, drugs, or certain therapies, won't be paid until the prescription is on file.

Quick facts

Code
N667 (RARC N667)
Status
Active In use since July 15, 2013; last modified March 14, 2014.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The line is denied or held because the provider didn't supply a required document. It is not billable to the patient while the prescription is simply missing.
Official description
Missing prescription.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N667 means

For some items and services, the prescription is the foundation of coverage. It shows a qualified practitioner decided the patient needed the item, how much, and for how long. When the payer’s rules require a prescription and none arrived, it can’t confirm the item was properly ordered, so it stops the line and adds N667.

You’ll see it most with durable medical equipment and supplies, orthotics and prosthetics, hearing and vision items, drugs billed on a medical claim, and on workers’ compensation or auto claims where carriers ask for the prescription with the bill.

Common causes

  • The payer requires the prescription with the claim, and it was never attached.
  • The attachment was sent separately and never matched to the claim.
  • The supplier had a verbal order but never obtained the written prescription.
  • The prescription was requested in a records request that went unanswered.

How to fix it

  1. Find the prescription in your records or request it from the prescriber.
  2. Check that it predates the service and meets the payer’s basic requirements, so you don’t trade N667 for N668.
  3. Send it the way the payer asks, referencing the claim number. If the payer requires a new claim, submit a corrected claim with resubmission code 7 and the attachment.
  4. If no valid prescription exists for the date of service, the item likely can’t be billed to this payer as is. Review what the payer allows.

How to prevent it

Make getting the written prescription a required step before delivering equipment or starting prescribed services, and store it with the patient’s order. For payers that want it up front, attach it to every claim for that item type.

Codes that may appear with N667

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication; N667 names the prescription.
  • CO-173 (Service/equipment was not prescribed by a physician.): The service or equipment was not prescribed by a physician.
  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment or other documentation is required to adjudicate the claim.
  • N668 (Incomplete/invalid prescription.): A prescription was received but is incomplete or invalid.
  • N708 (Missing orders.): Missing orders, used for orders more broadly rather than prescriptions specifically.
  • N388 (Missing/incomplete/invalid prescription number.): The prescription number is missing or invalid.

N667 FAQ

Is a prescription the same as an order?

Often they're used interchangeably, but payers may have separate requirements. Some want a detailed written order for equipment, others a standard prescription. Check the payer's documentation rules for the item.

Can the prescription be dated after the service?

Many payers require the prescription to be in place before the item is delivered or the service starts. A prescription written afterward may not satisfy the requirement.

How do I send the prescription?

Follow the payer's attachment process, which might be an electronic attachment, a portal upload, or a fax with a cover sheet referencing the claim.