N173Remark Code (RARC)Active
N173 Remark Code - No Hospital Stay Dates Provided
The N173 remark code indicates that no qualifying hospital stay dates were provided for the episode of care related to the claim. This suggests that the payer requires specific hospital stay information to proceed with the claim processing or payment.
How It Relates to the Denial
The N173 remark code typically accompanies claim adjustment reason codes that relate to hospital stays or inpatient services. The combination signals that the claim was adjusted due to the absence of necessary hospitalization information.
Common Scenarios
1A claim for inpatient surgery was submitted, but the remittance shows N173 along with a claim adjustment reason code indicating denial due to lack of documentation.
→ In this case, the N173 remark code highlights that the hospital stay dates needed to substantiate the inpatient service were not included, leading to a denial.
2A provider billed for a series of outpatient services that require prior hospitalization, but the remittance returned N173 along with a reason code for insufficient documentation.
→ The N173 remark code in this scenario points out that the claim cannot be processed because the necessary hospital stay dates were omitted, which are crucial for validating the services billed.
3A claim for a patient who received treatment after a hospital discharge was processed, but the remittance included N173 with a claim adjustment reason code for missing information.
→ The N173 remark code indicates that the payer needs the dates of the patient's hospital stay to confirm the eligibility of the services provided post-discharge.
What to Do
- Obtain and provide the qualifying hospital stay dates for the patient’s episode of care.
- Review the claim submission to ensure all required hospitalization details are included before resubmission.
- If necessary, contact the facility to gather the missing dates and any other pertinent information.
What to Check
- The patient’s medical record for documented hospital stay dates.
- The original claim submission to verify what hospital stay information was included.
- The payer's policy regarding documentation requirements for inpatient services.