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N902 Remark Code: Missing Health Risk Assessment

N902 means the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) required for this service was not received. Payers that tie certain wellness or care management services to a completed HRA will not pay until it is on file.

Quick facts

Code
N902 (RARC N902)
Status
Active In use since July 1, 2024.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The amount denied for lack of an HRA. It is the provider's responsibility to complete or submit it.
Official description
Missing Health Risk Assessment (HRA).
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N902 means

Some services are defined partly by a health risk assessment. A wellness visit, for example, is expected to start from the patient’s HRA responses. Some managed care programs also require an HRA before or during care management services.

When the payer’s policy requires an HRA and nothing is on file or attached, it denies the service with N902. The problem is that the HRA is missing.

Common causes

  • The patient did not complete the questionnaire before or during the visit.
  • It was completed on paper but never scanned or submitted.
  • The payer wanted the HRA submitted through its portal or a specific form, and it went elsewhere.
  • The HRA was completed at a different visit that the payer did not link to this claim.

How to fix it

  1. Check the chart for a completed HRA tied to the date of service.
  2. Submit it through the payer’s required method, whether an attachment, portal upload, or program form.
  3. Request reprocessing or send a corrected claim with frequency code 7 as the payer instructs.
  4. Consider billing correction if the HRA was never completed, because the service may not meet the payer’s definition as billed.

How to prevent it

Send the HRA to patients before wellness visits, check it at check-in, and use a claim edit that holds these services until the HRA is recorded.

Codes that may appear with N902

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Information needed for adjudication is missing.
  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): An attachment is required to adjudicate the claim.
  • CO-272 (Coverage/program guidelines were not met.): Coverage or program guidelines were not met.
  • N903 (Incomplete/Invalid Health Risk Assessment (HRA).): The HRA was received but is incomplete or invalid.
  • N706 (Missing documentation.): Documentation is missing, without naming the HRA.

N902 FAQ

What is a health risk assessment?

It is a questionnaire, often completed by the patient, covering health history, behaviors, and risk factors. The clinician uses it to plan prevention and care.

Which services commonly require an HRA?

Medicare's annual wellness visit includes an HRA as a required element, and many Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans require HRAs for new members or care management programs. Payer requirements vary.

Does the patient have to complete it themselves?

Often the patient completes it, with help from staff as needed. Check the payer's rules on who may complete it and in what format.