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CARC Code Reference

CARC 261: The procedure or service is inconsistent with the patient's history.

The procedure or service is inconsistent with the patient's history.

Group code CO, PI or PR
Category Coding
Risk level High
Appealable Yes

Common RARC pairings

RARCs (Remittance Advice Remark Codes) provide the specific reason detail alongside CARC 261 on the 835 electronic remittance. These are the RARCs seen most often with this CARC.

RARCMeaning
N56 Procedure code billed is not correct/valid for the services billed or the date of service billed.

See the full resolution workflow for CARC 261

Members of the EDI-Code Intelligence Lab get the step-by-step rework path, appeal language, root-cause drivers, and prevention checklist for every CARC and RARC pairing, plus payer-specific quirks.

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