CO-151: Information Does Not Support Frequency of Services

What Does CO-151 Mean?

With CO (Contractual Obligation), the CARC 151 denial for information does not support frequency of services is the provider's contractual responsibility. The patient is not liable for this amount. However, the provider may appeal with supporting clinical or administrative documentation if the denial is believed to be in error.

CARC 151 indicates information does not support frequency of services. The payer determined that the service or a portion of it does not meet coverage criteria under the patient's current plan benefits or the applicable coverage rules.

Common scenarios that trigger this adjustment include: the number of services billed within a given time period exceeds the payer's allowed frequency for that procedure, such as billing more physical therapy visits than the plan allows per year; The clinical documentation does not demonstrate ongoing medical necessity for the number of services provided, and the payer determines fewer visits were warranted; The same service was billed multiple times within a period that the payer considers too short for repeat services. The group code paired with CARC 151 determines who bears the financial responsibility — CO places it on the provider as a contractual obligation, PR shifts it to the patient, OA indicates a coordination of benefits or other payer adjustment.

Common Causes

How to Resolve

1. Review the denial Examine the CO-151 denial and any RARC codes to understand the specific basis for the coverage determination.
2. Gather supporting documentation Collect medical records, clinical notes, authorization documents, or other evidence that supports the medical necessity or coverage of the denied service.
3. File the appeal Appeal with comprehensive documentation of medical necessity for the frequency of services, including treatment plans, progress notes showing clinical improvement or need for continued care, and evidence-based guidelines supporting the treatment frequency.
4. Track the appeal outcome Monitor the appeal status and follow up as needed. If denied again, consider further levels of appeal if available.

Common RARC Pairings

The RARC code tells you exactly what triggered the CO-151:

How to Prevent CO-151

• Verify payer-specific frequency limitations before scheduling recurring services
• Obtain prior authorization when the anticipated number of visits may exceed standard frequency limits
• Document medical necessity for each visit, especially when approaching or exceeding frequency thresholds
• Track service frequency per patient per payer to identify when limits are approaching
• Submit treatment plans and progress reports proactively to support ongoing medical necessity
• Implement alerts in the practice management system when frequency limits are nearing for a specific service

Also Filed As

The same CARC 151 may appear with different Group Codes:

Related Denial Codes