CO-140 means the payer found the member ID on your claim, but the name attached to it doesn’t match. Maybe the ID belongs to the subscriber and you sent the child’s name. Maybe a last name changed after a marriage. Or a typo crept in at check-in. The fix is almost always a corrected claim with the name and ID exactly as the payer has them. The CO group means you can’t bill the patient while the claim is unfixed. (Primary source: X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes)
In brief: CARC 140 reads “Patient/Insured health identification number and name do not match.” Pull the member’s card and a fresh eligibility check, copy the name and ID exactly, and send a corrected claim.
From our denial codes library. Written by Manikandan J, CPC, CRCR, who has worked front-end edits and eligibility rejections for payer and provider teams. Published 21 October 2026. Last updated: 21 October 2026. Code wording quoted word for word from X12.
Official wording of reason code 140
| Field | X12 text |
|---|---|
| Code | 140 |
| Description | “Patient/Insured health identification number and name do not match.” |
| Start | 06/30/1999 |
Source: X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, checked 21 October 2026. Most payers send it under group CO. Some front-end edits reject the claim before it ever reaches a remit; the meaning is the same.
CO-140 vs CO-31: which problem do you have?
These two get mixed up. The difference tells you where to look.
A member ID is the identification number the plan assigns to each covered person or policy. The subscriber is the person who holds the policy, such as an employee. A dependent is a spouse or child covered under that subscriber’s policy.
| CO-140 | CO-31 | |
|---|---|---|
| What the payer found | An ID on file, but a name that doesn’t fit it | No member it can match at all |
| Usual cause | Wrong name, nickname, name change, or subscriber vs dependent mix-up | Wrong payer, wrong ID, or the person isn’t covered |
| First check | Spelling and order of the name on the card | Whether the patient has this plan at all |
Example scenario (fictional names), part 1
CO-140 Denial Example: What Happened
Priya Nandakumar handles billing at Lakeshore Pediatric Associates. Dr. Owen Castellanos saw a seven-year-old for a sick visit with strep throat (J02.0). The claim went to Crestline Family Health, a fictional commercial plan, with 99213 and a rapid strep test, 87880-QW.
The 835 denied both lines with CAS*CO*140 and remark LQ*HE*N382, “Missing/incomplete/invalid patient identifier.” The child’s name was spelled right. The member ID was copied straight from the card.
So what didn’t match? Keep reading, or jump to how the CO-140 denial was resolved.
Where the name and ID mismatch hides
On a CMS-1500 or 837P, the insured and the patient are two different people when the patient is a dependent. Each box has to hold the right person.
- Box 1a, insured’s ID number: the ID exactly as printed on the card, including any prefix.
- Box 2, patient’s name: the patient, last name first, the way the plan has it.
- Box 4, insured’s name: the subscriber, who may be a parent or spouse.
- Box 6, patient relationship to insured: self, spouse, child or other.
Three patterns cause most CARC 140 denials:
- Dependent sent as the subscriber. The ID belongs to the parent, but Box 4 names the child, or the relationship says “self.”
- Name change not on file. The patient married or divorced, and the plan still has the old last name, or the reverse.
- Nicknames and suffixes. “Bill” vs “William,” a missing “Jr.,” or a hyphenated last name split in two.
Remark codes that travel with CARC 140
| RARC | X12 wording | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| N382 | “Missing/incomplete/invalid patient identifier.” | The ID and the person it was sent for |
| MA36 | “Missing/incomplete/invalid patient name.” | Spelling, order and suffix of the name |
| N197 | “The subscriber must update insurance information directly with payer.” | The member needs to fix the plan’s record |
See the X12 RARC list for the full set.
How to fix a CO-140 denial
- Run a fresh eligibility check. Use the payer portal or a 270/271 inquiry for the date of service. CMS describes the HIPAA eligibility transaction standards that govern these inquiries. Note the exact name, birth date and ID the plan returns.
- Compare field by field. Check spelling, name order, suffix, hyphen and the patient’s relationship to the subscriber.
- Look at the card copy. Some plans give each dependent a suffix on the ID, such as -01 or -02.
- Correct the patient record first. Fix the registration screen so the next claim doesn’t repeat the error.
- Send a corrected claim. Use frequency code 7 and the original claim number if the claim was processed. If it was rejected before processing, send a new claim.
- Ask the member to call the plan when N197 appears. A name change has to be updated by the member, often with an employer or the marketplace.
- Track timely filing. A front-end rejection doesn’t stop the filing clock. Keep proof of the first send date.
Example scenario (fictional names), part 2
How the CO-140 Denial Was Resolved
Priya ran an eligibility check for the visit date. The plan returned the child under the mother’s ID with a -02 suffix. The front desk had entered the mother’s ID with no suffix and marked the relationship as “self.”
Fix: she updated the registration with the -02 suffix, the mother as insured in Box 4 and “child” in Box 6. Then she sent a corrected claim with frequency code 7.
Outcome: both lines paid on the next remit. Lakeshore added a check-in prompt that asks whether the patient is the card holder.
Names and details are illustrative; no real patient data.
Worked example (illustrative)
A physical therapy clinic sees CO-140 on a new patient who married last month. The card shows the new last name, but the plan still has the old one. The member calls the plan and updates the record. Once the 271 shows the new name, the clinic resubmits and the claim pays. Sending the old name to match the plan would have worked short term, but it leaves a mismatch with the card on every later visit.
Prevention checklist for the front desk
- Scan both sides of the card at every visit, not just the first.
- Ask at check-in whether the name or insurance has changed.
- Enter legal names, not nicknames, and include suffixes.
- Set the relationship field before you save the policy.
- Run real-time eligibility before the visit and match the returned name.
Related codes
- CO-31: patient cannot be identified as our insured.
- CO-16: claim lacks information needed for adjudication.
- CO-27: expenses incurred after coverage terminated.
- CO-109: claim not covered by this payer or contractor.
Recap
CO-140 is a matching problem, not a coverage problem. The member exists, but the name or the person tied to the ID is wrong. Run eligibility, copy the name and ID exactly, fix the patient and insured boxes, and send a corrected claim. When the plan’s own record is out of date, the member has to update it.
FAQ
What does denial code CO-140 mean?
The payer’s file has a different name for the member ID you sent. It reads “Patient/Insured health identification number and name do not match.”
Can I bill the patient for a CO-140 denial?
No. It’s a CO adjustment, so the claim needs fixing before any patient balance exists.
Is CARC 140 the same as CO-31?
No. CO-31 means the payer can’t find the member at all. CO-140 means it found the ID, but the name doesn’t fit.
How do I fix reason code 140 for a child on a parent’s plan?
Put the parent in the insured fields and the child in the patient fields. Use the child’s ID suffix if the plan issues one, and set the relationship to “child.”
What if the patient changed their name?
Ask the member to update the plan. Resubmit once eligibility shows the new name.
Does a CO-140 rejection stop the timely filing clock?
No. Keep proof of the first submission and resubmit quickly.
Sources
How we checked: each code quote on this page was matched word for word with the X12 CARC and RARC lists on 21 October 2026.
- X12, Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC 140, 31, 16, 27, 109). Accessed 21 Oct 2026.
- X12, Remittance Advice Remark Codes (N382, MA36, N197). Accessed 21 Oct 2026.
- NUCC, 1500 Claim Form instructions. Accessed 21 Oct 2026.
Last updated: 21 October 2026 ยท Educational content; not legal advice.