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What Do Denial Codes Like N290 or N115 Mean on My Medicare Paperwork?
Last reviewed 2026-07-16
Codes like N115, N290, N823, and N130 are Remittance Advice Remark Codes. Any health plan can use them on paperwork sent to providers, not on your own Medicare Summary Notice. Your MSN explains each claim in plain words instead, using its own numbered messages. CMS publishes the full list, and every MSN also explains your right to appeal.
What happened
You found a short code, like N115 or N290, on a paper about a Medicare claim. It might feel like a secret language. These codes come from a national list that health plans use on billing paperwork sent to providers. Your own Medicare Summary Notice, called an MSN, works a bit differently.
What usually applies
Codes such as N115, N290, N823, and N130 belong to a system called Remittance Advice Remark Codes. CMS maintains this list, and any health plan can use these codes, not just Medicare. They mainly appear on the remittance advice a health plan sends to a provider, explaining an adjustment to a bill. Your own MSN is a different document. It is mailed straight to you, and it explains each claim using its own numbered messages, written in plain words, not a code like N115. CMS publishes the complete list of these MSN messages. If Medicare denied an item or service, your MSN also explains your right to appeal that decision.
“Messages are printed on the MSN to explain both general and claims-specific information to beneficiaries.”
“The MSNs are not sent to providers. Providers receive remittance advice records.”
“Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARCs) are used in a remittance advice to further explain an adjustment or relay informational messages that cannot be expressed with a claim adjustment reason code. Remark codes are maintained by CMS, but may be used by any health plan when they apply.”
“If an item or service is denied, call your doctor’s or other health care provider's office to make sure they submitted the correct information. If not, the office may resubmit. If you disagree with any decision made, you can file an appeal . The last page of the MSN gives you step-by-step directions on when and how to file an appeal.”
“1-800-MEDICARE ( 1-800-633-4227 ) TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048”
What to do
- 1
Check which document you are looking at
A code like N115 or N290 usually comes from billing paperwork sent to a provider, not your own MSN. Look at the top of the page to see which one you have.
- 2
Read the plain language message on your MSN
Your MSN explains each claim using its own numbered message, written out in full. You should not need to decode anything yourself.
- 3
Call your provider's office about a billing code
If the code came from provider paperwork, ask the billing office what it means. They can also check that the claim went in the right way.
- 4
Use the appeal steps on your MSN if a claim was denied
The last page of your MSN has step by step directions for an appeal. It also lists your deadline.
- 5
Check if your exact code has its own page
We already explain a few codes on their own, like N382 and N211. Search your code to see if we cover it yet.
SHIP stands for State Health Insurance Assistance Program. It gives free help with any Medicare notice. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) if a code or claim is unclear. Your local 211 line can connect you to more free help.
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Sources
- CMS.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)Retrieved 2026-07-16
- CMS, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 21 (Medicare Summary Notices)Retrieved 2026-07-16
- CMS, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 22 (Remittance Advice)Retrieved 2026-07-16
- Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)Retrieved 2026-07-16
- Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)Retrieved 2026-07-16
Last reviewed 2026-07-16