Skip to main content

N884 Remark Code: NSA May Apply, Contact Payer

N884 is an alert that the No Surprises Act may apply to the claim. The payer asks you to contact it for instructions on how to report whether the item or service was furnished during a patient visit to a participating facility.

Quick facts

Code
N884 (RARC N884)
Status
Active In use since November 1, 2022.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): Amounts held or adjusted while the payer waits for facility information. Do not bill the patient for them yet.
  • OA (Other Adjustment): Some payers report the pending determination as an other adjustment until the No Surprises Act question is settled.
Official description
Alert: The No Surprises Act may apply to this claim. Please contact payer for instructions on how to submit information regarding whether or not the item or service was furnished during a patient visit to a participating facility.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N884 means

The No Surprises Act protects patients who receive care from out-of-network professionals during a visit to an in-network facility. A claim from a professional does not always make it clear where the care took place. N884 is the payer saying: “This might be one of those claims. Tell us about the facility.”

It is a request, not a decision. Until you respond, the payer may not be able to apply either normal out-of-network terms or the Act’s protections.

What to do

  1. Call the payer or check its provider portal for its N884 instructions. The remark asks you to contact the payer.
  2. Gather the facts: the facility where the patient was seen, its identifiers, and the place of service. On a professional claim, the service facility is reported in box 32 and 32a, and place of service in box 24B.
  3. Submit the information in the format the payer requests, which may be a corrected claim with frequency code 7 or a separate form.
  4. Hold patient billing until the claim is finalized.

How to prevent it

When your clinicians work at outside facilities, make sure the service facility and its NPI are always reported on the claim.

Codes that may appear with N884

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication; N884 identifies the missing piece as facility-visit information.
  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): Documentation is required to adjudicate the claim.
  • N865 (Alert: This claim is subject to the No Surprises Act provisions that apply to nonemergency services furnished by nonparticipating providers during a…): Confirms the Act's rules for nonemergency services at participating facilities were applied.
  • N885 (Alert: This claim was not processed in accordance with the No Surprises Act cost-sharing or out-of-network payment requirements.): The payer has decided the Act does not apply, and you disagree.
  • N830 (Alert: The charge[s] for this service was processed in accordance with Federal/ State, Balance Billing/ No Surprise Billing regulations.): The claim was processed under balance billing or No Surprise Billing rules.

N884 FAQ

Why does the facility matter?

The Act protects patients from surprise bills by out-of-network providers when care is furnished during a visit to an in-network hospital, hospital outpatient department, or ambulatory surgical center. The payer needs to know where the service happened to apply the right rules.

What information will the payer want?

Usually the facility name and identifiers, the place of service, and whether the patient was at that facility for the visit. Each payer sets its own submission method.

Should I bill the patient in the meantime?

Wait. If the Act applies, the patient's liability will be limited to in-network cost sharing.