CO 252: Documentation Required
The payer wants supporting documentation attached.
Send the records the RARC asks for. Often a 275 attachment.
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- No BAA
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What CO 252 means
CO: Contractual obligation. The provider absorbs it and cannot bill the patient.
So the balance cannot move to the patient. Either the appeal recovers it or the practice absorbs it. That makes the appeal decision the whole decision on this line.
Is It Worth Appealing?
Fix and resubmit. This is a correction, not an appeal. Appealing burns the deadline.
How to Fix CO 252, Step by Step
Send the records the RARC asks for. Often a 275 attachment.
- 1Step 1: Read the remark code. Find the remark code printed next to CO 252 on the 835 or EOB. It says what the payer wants back. The usual ones are N706, N517.
- 2Step 2: Do this. Send the records the RARC asks for. Often a 275 attachment.
Free: the Denial Code Appeal Playbook. 53 codes on one sheet: appeal, fix and resubmit, or let it go, and what to attach. Get the playbook
CO 252 description
The payer wants supporting documentation attached.
The payer wants supporting documentation attached. So the balance cannot move to the patient. Either the appeal recovers it or the practice absorbs it. That makes the appeal decision the whole decision on this line.
This is our plain-English wording, not the official X12 text. X12 asserts copyright over the published descriptions, so we write our own and say what it means for the money rather than restating the code.
Where this comes from. This is our own reading of the code, not the payer's and not a copy of the standards text. We classify it from how these denials actually resolve. Where we are unsure, we say so rather than guessing.
The Remark Code Beside It
The adjustment code says the claim was reduced. The remark code printed next to it says why, and it is the one that tells you what to send back.
Related Codes
Your Questions Answered
What does CO 252 mean?
The payer wants supporting documentation attached. Contractual obligation. The provider absorbs it and cannot bill the patient.
Can you appeal CO 252?
Fix and resubmit. Send the records the RARC asks for. Often a 275 attachment.
How do I fix a CO 252 denial?
Step 1: Read the remark code. Find the remark code printed next to CO 252 on the 835 or EOB. It says what the payer wants back. Step 2: Do this. Send the records the RARC asks for. Often a 275 attachment.
Most searched: CO 97 · CO 96 · OA 23 · PR 204 · CO 109 · CO 197 · CO 45 · CO 50
How Much of This Is Sitting in Your Write-Off Pile?
No patient data. No BAA. No charge.
Upload your denial summary for the last 90 days. 4 columns: payer, CARC code, count, billed amount. You get back which were winnable and what they were worth.