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N886 Remark Code: 277 RFAI Sent for This Claim

N886 is an alert that the payer has sent a Health Care Claim Request for Additional Information, the X12 277 RFAI transaction, for this claim. The request tells you what documentation the payer needs; you respond with the requested attachments.

Quick facts

Code
N886 (RARC N886)
Status
Active In use since July 1, 2023.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): Amounts denied or held pending the information requested in the 277 RFAI. They are not patient responsibility while the request is open.
Official description
Alert: A Health Care Claim Request for Additional Information (277 RFAI) has been sent.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N886 means

A 277 RFAI is a structured request from the payer. Instead of a letter, the payer sends an electronic message naming the documentation it wants for a specific claim. N886 on the remittance tells you that such a request exists, so the remittance and the RFAI should be read together.

What to do

  1. Find the RFAI in your clearinghouse inbox and note the claim, the items requested, and any response deadline.
  2. Pull exactly what is asked for. Sending the full chart when the payer asked for one report can slow review.
  3. Respond through an accepted channel, keeping proof of submission.
  4. Monitor the claim afterward. If the payer denied it pending information, it should be reprocessed once your response is received.

How to prevent missed requests

Make sure someone owns the clearinghouse’s claim status and attachment request queue. Unanswered requests commonly turn into final denials.

Codes that may appear with N886

  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment or other documentation is required to adjudicate the claim; the RFAI specifies which.
  • CO-226 (Information requested from the Billing/Rendering Provider was not provided or not provided timely or was insufficient/incomplete.): Information requested from the provider was not provided, or not in time. This can follow an unanswered RFAI.
  • N888 (Alert: An electronic request for additional information has been sent for this claim.): A more general alert that an electronic request for additional information was sent.
  • N202 (Alert: Additional information/explanation will be sent separately.): Additional information or explanation will be sent separately.
  • N706 (Missing documentation.): Documentation is missing, without saying a separate request was issued.

N886 FAQ

What is a 277 RFAI?

It is a standard electronic transaction a payer uses to ask a provider for specific additional information about a submitted claim, often identified by LOINC codes that describe the documents needed.

Where do I find the RFAI?

It usually comes through your clearinghouse along with claim status reports. If you cannot locate it, ask the clearinghouse or payer to resend it.

How do I respond?

Send the requested documents using the payer's accepted method, such as an electronic attachment transaction, portal upload, or fax, and reference the claim and the request's identifiers.