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N827 Remark Code: FIPS Code Missing or Invalid

N827 means a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code on the claim was missing, incomplete, or invalid. FIPS codes are standard numeric identifiers for states and counties, and some payers use them to price services or apply location-based rules.

Quick facts

Code
N827 (RARC N827)
Status
Active In use since November 1, 2019.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim was denied for a correctable data error. It isn't billable to the patient.
Official description
Missing/Incomplete/Invalid Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Code.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N827 means

FIPS codes are federal geographic identifiers. Each state has a two-digit code and each county a three-digit code, and together they pin down a county anywhere in the country. Payers that adjust payment by geography, such as rural add-ons or county-based rates, may require a FIPS code on the claim so they don’t have to infer the location from an address.

N827 means that code was required and was missing, incomplete, or not valid. The remark usually comes with CARC 16.

Common causes

  • Field left blank because staff didn’t know the payer required it.
  • Wrong location used, such as the agency’s county instead of the patient’s.
  • Truncated or malformed code, like a county code without its state prefix or with leading zeros dropped.
  • Outdated county codes after a county change or address correction.

How to fix it

  1. Check the payer’s billing instructions to find which location the FIPS code must describe and where it goes on the claim.
  2. Look up the correct code from the official FIPS county list for that address.
  3. Enter it in the required format, keeping leading zeros.
  4. Submit a corrected claim with resubmission code 7 in box 22, or a new claim if the original was rejected.

How to prevent it

  • Derive FIPS codes automatically from verified addresses in your registration system.
  • Re-verify patient addresses at each episode or admission so county codes stay current.
  • Pair FIPS checks with CBSA checks if your payer requires both.

Codes that may appear with N827

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication; N827 names the FIPS code.
  • N843 (Missing/incomplete/invalid Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) code.): A Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) code, another location code used in pricing, is missing or invalid.
  • N802 (This claim/service is not payable under our service area.): A location-based rule sending the claim to a different plan's service area.

N827 FAQ

What is a FIPS code?

It is a federal standard numeric code for geographic areas. State FIPS codes are two digits and county codes are three digits, often combined into a five-digit state-and-county code.

Which claims need a FIPS code?

It depends on the payer. Examples include claims where pricing or add-on payments depend on where the patient lives or where the service was delivered, such as some home-based services. Check the payer's billing instructions.

Whose location does the FIPS code describe?

That depends on the payer's rule, often the patient's residence or the service location. Use the location the instructions specify.