OA-140: Patient ID Number and Name Do Not Match
Adjustment in a COB or secondary payer context. Review the coordination of benefits details to determine the responsible party.
What Does OA-140 Mean?
When paired with Group Code OA, CARC 140 (Patient ID Number and Name Do Not Match) is processed as an adjustment outside the standard CO/PR classifications. This typically occurs in secondary payer or coordination of benefits scenarios. Review the remittance details and the COB arrangement to determine financial responsibility and appropriate next steps.
CARC 140 is used when the payer determines that patient id number and name do not match. The claim could not be processed as submitted because required information was absent, incomplete, or did not meet the payer's submission standards.
Common scenarios that trigger this adjustment include: the patient's name on the claim does not match the payer's enrollment file due to a spelling error, name variation, or typo; The member identification number entered on the claim is incorrect, possibly transposed, outdated, or belonging to a different family member; The patient had a legal name change (e.g., marriage, divorce) that is reflected on the claim but not yet updated in the payer's enrollment records. The group code paired with CARC 140 determines who bears the financial responsibility — CO places it on the provider as a contractual obligation, OA indicates a coordination of benefits or other payer adjustment, PR shifts it to the patient.
How to Resolve
- Review the coordination of benefits Examine the OA-140 adjustment to understand how it fits within the primary/secondary payer relationship or other multi-payer context.
- Verify primary payer adjudication Review the primary payer's EOB to understand the basis for the secondary payer's OA adjustment.
- Determine the responsible party Based on the COB review, identify whether the adjustment should be absorbed, billed to another payer, or if additional documentation is needed.
- Appeal or resubmit if needed If the OA adjustment appears incorrect based on the COB arrangement, submit an appeal or corrected claim with the appropriate documentation.
- Follow up Monitor the claim status and take additional action as needed based on the COB determination.
This is a patient identification error. Correct the patient name and/or member ID number to match payer enrollment records and resubmit the claim.
How to Prevent OA-140
- Maintain accurate coordination of benefits information
- Verify secondary payer requirements before claim submission
Also Filed As
The same CARC 140 may appear with different Group Codes:
Related Denial Codes
Sources
- https://www.cms.gov/medicare/claims-appeals/organization-determinations
- https://www.aapc.com/resources/claim-adjustment-reason-code-carc
- https://www.mdclarity.com/denial-code/140
- Codes maintained by X12. Visit x12.org for official definitions.