MA04 Denial Code
This was billed as a secondary claim and the payer has no record of what the primary did with it.
A remark code sits beside the adjustment code on the remit and says why the claim was reduced.
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A Remark Code Is Not the Denial
The adjustment code says the claim was reduced. This one says why. You need both to know what to send back.
What to Do
Attach the primary payer's remittance and resubmit. Do not appeal this one: nothing was decided, so there is no decision to argue with. Appealing spends the window on a claim that only needed a document.
Code meanings verified against x12.org/codes/remittance-advice-remark-codes. The wording, the pairing and the recommended action are ours, not the payer's.
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Your Questions Answered
What does denial code MA04 mean?
This was billed as a secondary claim and the payer has no record of what the primary did with it.
What should I do about MA04?
Attach the primary payer's remittance and resubmit. Do not appeal this one: nothing was decided, so there is no decision to argue with. Appealing spends the window on a claim that only needed a document.
Which denial codes appear with MA04?
MA04 commonly rides with OA 22, OA 23. The adjustment code says the claim was reduced; the remark code says why.
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