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N706 Remark Code: Required Documentation Not Received

N706 means documentation the payer needed to decide the claim was not received. Usually the payer sent a records request that went unanswered, or its policy requires records with the claim and none were attached.

Quick facts

Code
N706 (RARC N706)
Status
Active In use since March 1, 2014.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim is denied for lack of records the provider was expected to supply. It is not a patient balance.
Official description
Missing documentation.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N706 means

With N706, the payer isn’t disputing your service. It never saw any records to evaluate. Either the payer asked for documentation and didn’t get it back in time, or the service is one where the payer’s policy requires records up front and the claim arrived without them.

Because no one reviewed anything clinical, N706 is usually one of the more recoverable documentation denials, as long as you act before the payer’s deadlines close.

Where requests go missing

  • Mail to an outdated address on the payer’s provider file.
  • Portal messages nobody monitors regularly.
  • Letters routed to medical records that never reached billing, or the reverse.
  • Records sent without the claim number or request ID, so the payer couldn’t match them.
  • Faxes that failed or went to the wrong number.

How to fix it

  1. Find out what was requested, when, and where it was sent.
  2. Gather the complete records for the date of service, including anything the payer’s policy lists.
  3. Send them the way the payer specifies, with the request letter or cover sheet and the claim number.
  4. Request reconsideration or reopening if the claim has already been denied, according to the payer’s process.
  5. Keep proof of delivery, such as a portal confirmation or fax receipt.

How to prevent it

Assign one owner for all payer records requests, keep a log with due dates, and update your correspondence address with every payer. For services whose policies require records with the claim, attach them to the first submission. See authorization and documentation prevention steps for related workflows.

Codes that may appear with N706

  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): Documentation is required to adjudicate the claim.
  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication.
  • CO-226 (Information requested from the Billing/Rendering Provider was not provided or not provided timely or was insufficient/incomplete.): Information requested from the billing or rendering provider was not provided or not provided on time.
  • N705 (Incomplete/invalid documentation.): Documentation arrived but was incomplete or invalid.
  • N29Deactivated (Missing documentation/orders/notes/summary/report/chart.): An older combined remark for missing documentation, orders, notes, summaries, reports, or charts.
  • N102Deactivated (This claim has been denied without reviewing the medical/dental record because the requested records were not received or were not received timely.): The claim was denied without reviewing the record because the requested records were not received.
  • N710 (Missing notes.): Specifically, the clinical notes were not received.

N706 FAQ

We never got a records request. What now?

Check whether the request went to an old address, a portal inbox, or a different department. Then send the records and ask the payer to reopen or reconsider the claim.

Is there a deadline to send records?

Records requests usually have a response deadline, and late records may need to go through reconsideration or appeal. Check the request or the payer's policy.

Can I just resubmit the claim with the records?

Some payers accept a corrected claim with attachments; others want the records sent to a specific address or portal with the original claim number. Follow the payer's instructions.