143Denial Code (CARC)Active
Effective 02/28/2001

OA 143 Denial Code - Resolve Deferred Payments

Code 143 means that a portion of the payment for the claim has been deferred. This doesn't necessarily indicate a denial, but rather that the payer has held back part of the payment for future processing or consideration.

Who Pays: Group Code Liability

For code 143, the group code is OA. This means that the deferred payment is a temporary adjustment by the payer, and the patient cannot be billed for this portion.

Why Claims Get Code 143

  • The payer is conducting a review or audit on the claim.
  • The payer is awaiting additional information or documentation before releasing full payment.
  • A portion of the claim is under coordination of benefits review with another payer.
  • The payer's processing system flagged the claim for further examination.

How to Fix & Resubmit

  1. Contact the payer to determine the specific reason for the deferral under code 143.
  2. If additional information or documentation is required, gather and submit it promptly to the payer.
  3. Monitor the claim status regularly to ensure that the deferred payment is released once the issue is resolved.
  4. If the deferral is due to a coordination of benefits review, verify that the primary payer’s information is correct and up-to-date.

Corrected Claim or Appeal?

For code 143, a formal appeal is generally not necessary. Instead, focus on providing any requested information to the payer to facilitate the release of the deferred payment.

Preventing Future 143 Denials

  • Ensure all required documentation is submitted with the initial claim to prevent deferrals.
  • Regularly verify coordination of benefits information to avoid unnecessary reviews.
  • Establish a process to quickly respond to payer requests for additional information.
  • Maintain clear communication channels with payers to expedite resolution of any issues.