The PR-14 denial code tells you the claim describes something impossible: a patient treated before they were born. The plan assigned the line to the patient, but a date error is not a real patient debt. In nearly every case, one of two dates on the claim is wrong, and a corrected claim clears it. (Primary source: X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes)
In brief: reason code 14 reads “The date of birth follows the date of service.” Compare the birth date and every service date on the claim you sent. Fix whichever is wrong, resend with frequency code 7, and hold the patient statement until the plan reprocesses.
Part of our denial codes library. Written by Manikandan J, CPC, CRCR, who has corrected newborn and date-entry denials for pediatric and hospital billing teams. Published 29 October 2026. Last updated: 29 October 2026. Code wording quoted word for word from X12. Read about the author and our editorial policy, or contact us to report an error.
CARC 14 at a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Code | 14 |
| Description | “The date of birth follows the date of service.” |
| Usage note | None listed |
| Start | 01/01/1995 |
| Group on this page | PR, patient responsibility |
Source: X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes, checked 29 October 2026.
Key terms: The date of service is the date in Box 24A on the CMS-1500, or FL 45 and the FL 6 statement period on the UB-04. The patient birth date is Box 3 on the CMS-1500 and FL 10 on the UB-04. A PR line is an amount the plan says the member owes, which the office should verify before billing.
Methodology: the CARC and RARC wording is copied from the X12 lists, and the field numbers come from the NUCC and CMS manuals cited below.
Four ways the dates end up reversed
| Cause | Clue on the claim | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Service year typo | The year in Box 24A is last year | Correct the service date |
| Birth date typo | Day and month swapped, or the wrong year | Correct Box 3 or FL 10 |
| Newborn billed under a parent | The parent’s birth date or ID is mixed in | Bill the baby’s own record |
| Template or system carry-over | Many claims from one day share the error | Fix the template, then resend all |
Year typos cluster in January, when staff still type the previous year out of habit. Birth date errors cluster at registration, for example when a newborn is registered before their own insurance record exists, or when a day and month are transposed, such as 03/07 entered as 07/03.
Is PR-14 ever a true patient balance?
Rarely. The same reason is more often sent as CO-14, with the provider owning it. When a plan uses PR instead, treat it as a data issue first. The remark N329, “Missing/incomplete/invalid patient birth date.” confirms that the plan doubts the birth date itself.
Example scenario (fictional names), part 1
PR-14 Denial Example: What Happened
Marcus Bell manages billing at Little Oaks Pediatrics, a fictional clinic. A fictional commercial plan denied a newborn’s first well visit, CPT 99381 with diagnosis Z00.111. The 835 showed CAS*PR*14*210.00 and LQ*HE*N329.
The baby’s coverage was active, and the registration screen looked complete. Yet the patient statement run had already picked up the $210 for the parents.
How could a visit happen before the baby was born? Keep reading, or jump to how it was resolved. Keep reading, or jump to how the PR-14 denial was resolved.
How to fix a PR-14 denial
- Pull the claim exactly as sent. Do not trust the current screen; someone may have fixed the record after billing.
- Line up the dates. Write the birth date next to every service date and the statement period.
- Check eligibility. The payer’s 271 response shows the birth date on file. If the plan holds an incorrect date, the member or the employer’s benefits administrator must correct the enrollment record, because the office cannot change it.
- Correct and resend. Use frequency code 7 with the original claim number in Box 22, or type of bill xx7 with FL 64 on a facility claim (NUCC 1500 claim form instructions).
- Reverse the patient charge. Remove the PR amount from the statement while the claim reprocesses.
Newborn claims need extra care
Newborn claims generate a large share of PR-14 denials. A baby often receives services before the plan adds them, so registration staff may enter the parent’s details as a temporary placeholder. Hospital and physician claims for the delivery, the nursery stay and the first office visits can all inherit that placeholder. Many plans cover a newborn under a parent’s policy only for a limited period after birth, and then require separate enrollment. Check the plan’s newborn rule, and update the baby’s record as soon as their own ID is issued.
For Medicare facility claims, see the UB-04 field rules in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 25.
Example scenario (fictional names), part 2
How the PR-14 Denial Was Resolved
Marcus opened the sent claim. The visit took place in early January 2026, but a charge template had saved last year, so Box 24A showed the date in January 2025. That put the visit nearly a year before the birth.
Fix: he corrected Box 24A to the 2026 date and sent a corrected claim with frequency code 7 and the original claim number. Box 3, the 99381 line and Z00.111 stayed the same.
Outcome: the plan paid the well visit, and Marcus cleared the $210 from the family’s account. He found three more January claims from the same template and fixed them before they denied.
Names and details are illustrative; no real patient data.
- Box 24A / FL 45: service date year corrected from 25 to 26.
- FL 6: statement period corrected to 010926 through 010926.
- Box 3 / FL 10: the birth date was right and is unchanged.
- Box 21 / FL 67: Z00.111 (entered as Z00111) and CPT 99381 are unchanged.
- Box 22 / FL 4 + FL 64: frequency code 7, or type of bill 0137, with the original claim number.
Prevention
- Lock service dates to the scheduling system instead of free typing.
- Add a scrubber rule that blocks any claim where the birth date is later than a service date.
- Review January claims for prior-year dates during the first two weeks.
- Register newborns under their own record, even before their ID arrives.
Related codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CO-14 | Same date conflict, provider owns it |
| PR-6 | Procedure doesn’t fit the patient’s age |
| PR-10 | Diagnosis doesn’t fit the patient’s sex |
| CO-9 | Diagnosis doesn’t fit the patient’s age |
FAQ
What does PR-14 mean?
The claim shows a birth date later than the date of service, and the plan put the balance on the patient.
Should I bill the patient for denial code 14?
No. It is almost always a date error. Correct the claim and reverse the patient charge.
Which remark code comes with CARC 14?
N329, “Missing/incomplete/invalid patient birth date.” is common.
Where are the dates on a UB-04?
The birth date is FL 10, the statement period is FL 6, and line dates are FL 45.
Why do newborn claims get PR-14?
Staff often enter a parent’s details as a placeholder before the baby’s own coverage is set up.
Sources
How we checked: the CARC 14 and N329 text was compared word for word with the X12 lists on 29 October 2026.
- X12, Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (CARC 14). Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
- X12, Remittance Advice Remark Codes (N329). Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
- X12, Claim Adjustment Group Codes. Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
- NUCC, 1500 claim form instructions. Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
- CMS, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 25. Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
- CMS, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 26. Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
- HealthCare.gov, Preventive care benefits. Accessed 29 Oct 2026.
Last updated: 29 October 2026 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Related denial codes
- CO-14: Date of Birth Follows the Date of Service
- CO-B15: Qualifying Service Not Received or Adjudicated
- CO-13: Date of Death Precedes Date of Service
- PR-16: Claim Lacks Information, Patient Share
- CO-16: Claim Lacks Information or Has a Billing Error
- M5: Monthly Rental Payments Explained
- N3: Missing Consent Form Explained
- CO-A1: Claim/Service Denied (Remark Required)