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N70 Remark Code: Consolidated Billing Applies

N70 means consolidated billing and payment applies to the service. The patient was in a care setting, such as a Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility stay or home health episode, where the facility or agency must bill for most services and pay the outside provider under arrangement.

Code: N70 (RARC N70)
Status: Active In use since January 1, 2000; last modified November 5, 2007.
Code set: Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes: CO (Contractual Obligation): The payer will not pay the outside provider directly. The provider should seek payment from the facility or agency responsible for consolidated billing, not the patient.
OA (Other Adjustment): Some payers report it as another adjustment reflecting that the payment is bundled into another provider's claim.
Official description: Consolidated billing and payment applies.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified: September 24, 2026 against the official X12 list.

What N70 means

Under consolidated billing, one provider is responsible for billing the payer for nearly everything a patient receives during a covered stay or episode. Medicare applies it to skilled nursing facility Part A stays and home health episodes, and some other payers use similar rules. Outside suppliers, labs, therapists, and others who furnish covered services during that period must get paid by the facility or agency, not by the payer.

N70 tells you your claim fell inside one of those periods. It commonly appears with CARC 109, CARC 190, or CARC 97.

Common causes

The patient was in a covered SNF stay, and a lab, imaging supplier, or therapy provider billed the payer directly.
A DME or supply provider delivered items during a home health episode that the agency was responsible for.
The outside provider did not know about the stay or episode.
The service was not on the exclusion list, so it could not be billed separately.

What to do

Confirm the stay or episode dates using eligibility tools or by contacting the facility or agency.
Check exclusion lists. If the service is excluded from consolidated billing, correct the claim details and appeal or resubmit as needed.
Bill the facility or agency under your arrangement for services that are included.
Write off or transfer the balance to the responsible facility, not the patient.

How to prevent it

Ask about current nursing facility stays or home health services at intake, and verify through eligibility tools. Set up written arrangements with local facilities and agencies covering how you will be paid for services under consolidated billing.

Codes that may appear with N70

CO-109 (Claim/service not covered by this payer/contractor.): The service is not covered by this payer as billed; the consolidated billing provider must bill it.
CO-190 (Payment is included in the allowance for a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) qualified stay.): The payment is included in the allowance for a skilled nursing facility qualified stay.
CO-97 (The benefit for this service is included in the payment/allowance for another service/procedure that has already been adjudicated.): The benefit for this service is included in the payment for another service, here the facility or agency payment.

N106 (Payment for services furnished to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) inpatients (except for excluded services) can only be made to the SNF.): Payment for services to SNF inpatients can only be made to the SNF, except for excluded services.
N107 (Services furnished to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) inpatients must be billed on the inpatient claim.): Services furnished to SNF inpatients must be billed on the inpatient claim.
M2 (Not paid separately when the patient is an inpatient.): Not paid separately when the patient is an inpatient.

N70 FAQ

Which services are excluded from consolidated billing?

Medicare publishes exclusion lists, and some professional services by physicians and certain practitioners are billed separately. Exclusions change, so check the current lists for the date of service.

How do I know the patient was in a SNF or home health episode?

Ask the patient or family at intake and check eligibility tools, which often show active SNF stays and home health episodes.

Can I bill the patient if the facility won't pay?

Generally not for services subject to consolidated billing. Your recourse is with the facility or agency, ideally under an agreement made before the service.

Important: read before using this information

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