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N715 Remark Code: Incomplete or Invalid Chart

N715 means the payer received chart documentation for the claim but judged it incomplete or invalid, so it could not verify the billed service. Supplying the complete, authenticated chart entries for the date of service is usually the fix.

Quick facts

Code
N715 (RARC N715)
Status
Active In use since March 1, 2014.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The provider carries the adjustment while the chart is deficient. The patient is not liable for it.
Official description
Incomplete/invalid chart.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N715 means

N715 tells you the reviewer opened the chart you submitted and could not rely on it. The payer is not yet saying the service was unnecessary or not performed. It is saying the chart, as received, is missing pieces or has a defect that stops the reviewer from confirming what was billed.

The code usually sits under CARC 251 or CARC 16. On dental remittances, “chart” can also refer to tooth or periodontal charting.

Common causes

  • Entries for the billed date are unsigned or were never locked in the EHR.
  • Only part of the note printed, such as the plan without the exam, or the first page of several.
  • The chart covers a nearby date but not the date of service on the claim.
  • Handwritten or scanned pages were illegible or cut off.
  • The rendering provider’s identity cannot be determined from the entry.

How to fix it

  1. Read the payer’s request or review notes to see which element was missing.
  2. Print the complete encounter from the EHR, including signatures and time stamps. Check that every page is legible.
  3. If the note genuinely lacks something, the author may add a late entry or addendum under your documentation policy, clearly dated as such.
  4. Resubmit through the payer’s records or reconsideration process with the claim number on each page.
  5. If the payer still rejects a complete chart, escalate to a formal appeal and cite the policy requirement you met.

How to prevent it

Audit a sample of charts before they go to payers: signatures present, correct date, correct patient, all sections printed. Configure EHR print templates so records requests produce a full encounter, not a summary view. Tracking chart-related remarks by provider can reveal a documentation habit to address in training.

Codes that may appear with N715

  • CO-251 (The attachment/other documentation that was received was incomplete or deficient.): The documentation received was incomplete or deficient.
  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): A general 'lacks information' denial, with N715 naming the chart as the problem.
  • CO-B12 (Services not documented in patient's medical records.): Used when the chart that was received does not document the service at all.
  • N716 (Missing chart.): No chart was received, rather than a deficient one.
  • N730 (Incomplete/invalid patient medical/dental record for this service.): Incomplete medical or dental record for the service, a close cousin often used interchangeably.
  • N402 (Incomplete/invalid periodontal charting.): The dental-specific version for periodontal charting.
  • N225Deactivated (Incomplete/invalid documentation/orders/notes/summary/report/chart.): The older catch-all for incomplete documentation, now deactivated.

N715 FAQ

What counts as a 'chart' for N715?

Generally the clinical record entries for the encounter: history, exam or assessment, plan, orders, and the provider's authentication. Dental payers may mean tooth or periodontal charting. Ask the payer if it is unclear.

Can I send the whole chart to be safe?

Send what supports the dates of service billed, plus anything the payer's policy names. A very large, unindexed record can slow review; flag the relevant pages.

Is N715 the same as a medical necessity denial?

No. N715 is about the quality or completeness of the chart you sent. A medical necessity denial means the payer reviewed usable records and decided the service was not necessary.