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N679 Remark Code: Post-Op Images or Fields Unusable

N679 means the post-operative images or visual field results you sent were incomplete or invalid. The payer had documentation to review but couldn't use it, for example because it was unlabeled, unreadable, from the wrong date, or missing required views.

Quick facts

Code
N679 (RARC N679)
Status
Active In use since November 1, 2013.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The provider needs to supply acceptable documentation. The patient is not responsible while the documentation issue is open.
Official description
Incomplete/Invalid post-operative images/visual field results.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N679 means

With N679, something did reach the reviewer. The payer opened the post-operative photographs, radiographs, or visual field reports, and found them unusable for its decision. The claim stays unpaid until acceptable versions arrive.

Unlike the missing-documentation remark N678, the fix here is quality and completeness, not just sending something.

What reviewers commonly reject

  • Unidentified images: no patient name, date, or indication of which side or area.
  • Wrong timing: images dated before surgery, or too soon after it to show the result the policy asks for.
  • Missing views: the policy requires specific angles or both sides, and only some were sent.
  • Poor quality: blurry, cropped, or low-resolution copies, or faxes that lose detail.
  • Partial test reports: visual field printouts without the full results, reliability data, or the conditions the payer specifies.
  • Mismatched patient or procedure: documentation that belongs to a different date or service.

How to fix it

  1. Ask the payer, or read its letter, for the specific deficiency.
  2. Pull complete originals from the imaging or testing system rather than re-sending the same copies.
  3. Label everything with patient identifiers, dates, and laterality.
  4. Resubmit through the payer’s attachment channel, referencing the claim number. If the payer requires a new claim, use resubmission code 7 in box 22.
  5. Appeal if the documentation already met the policy, pointing to where each requirement is shown.

How to prevent it

Create a documentation checklist from each payer’s policy for the procedures you perform, covering views, timing, and test settings, and review packets before sending. Use digital attachments at full resolution instead of faxes when possible.

Codes that may appear with N679

  • CO-251 (The attachment/other documentation that was received was incomplete or deficient.): The attachment received was incomplete or deficient.
  • CO-250 (The attachment/other documentation that was received was the incorrect attachment/document.): The attachment received was the wrong document.
  • N678 (Missing post-operative images/visual field results.): The post-operative documentation was missing entirely.
  • N244 (Incomplete/Invalid pre-operative images/visual field results.): Pre-operative images or visual field results were incomplete or invalid.
  • N242 (Incomplete/invalid radiology film(s)/image(s).): Radiology films or images were incomplete or invalid.

N679 FAQ

What makes images invalid?

Common problems include missing patient identifiers or dates, poor quality, the wrong view or body area, or images taken before rather than after the procedure.

What makes visual field results incomplete?

Payers often look for the full test report with reliability measures, the test conditions they require, and the interpretation. A partial printout may be rejected. Check the payer's policy.

Can I appeal instead of resending?

If you believe what you sent met the requirements, appeal and explain how. Otherwise it's usually faster to send complete documentation.