# CARC 46 denial code dental Answer: On a dental remittance, CARC 46 means: A retired way of saying the plan does not cover the service. X12 deactivated this code on 2003-10-16. X12's own note on the row directs users to code 96 instead. X12 assigns it no group code, so the group code on the remittance is the payer's choice under its own contract and it, not the CARC, decides who is assigned the balance. No source read for this page pairs a specific remark code with it. Dentovio's appealability verdict — structural: verify the plan terms. Treat the substance as a 96 non-covered decision and work it that way. If a payer is still sending 46 on a live remittance, that is worth raising with the payer separately — its own remittance is out of step with the code set it is required to use. Answer URL: https://dentovio.com/answers/dental-denial-code-carc-46 Markdown mirror: https://dentovio.com/answers/dental-denial-code-carc-46/index.html.md Source page: [/dental-claim-denial-codes/carc-46](https://dentovio.com/dental-claim-denial-codes/carc-46) Source markdown: [/dental-claim-denial-codes/carc-46/index.html.md](https://dentovio.com/dental-claim-denial-codes/carc-46/index.html.md) Topic page: [/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools](https://dentovio.com/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools) Topic markdown: [/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools/index.html.md](https://dentovio.com/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools/index.html.md) Answer hub: [Dentovio Public Answers](https://dentovio.com/answers) Answer bank JSON: https://dentovio.com/answer-bank.json Answer intent ID: `dental-denial-code-carc-46` Cluster: Practice operations Last verified: 2026-08-30 Reviewer: none — owner-published, verified against the primary sources cited here and not reviewed by a credentialed specialist. ## Direct answer On a dental remittance, CARC 46 means: A retired way of saying the plan does not cover the service. X12 deactivated this code on 2003-10-16. X12's own note on the row directs users to code 96 instead. X12 assigns it no group code, so the group code on the remittance is the payer's choice under its own contract and it, not the CARC, decides who is assigned the balance. No source read for this page pairs a specific remark code with it. Dentovio's appealability verdict — structural: verify the plan terms. Treat the substance as a 96 non-covered decision and work it that way. If a payer is still sending 46 on a live remittance, that is worth raising with the payer separately — its own remittance is out of step with the code set it is required to use. ## Query patterns - CARC 46 denial code dental - denial code 46 dental - CARC 46 meaning - CARC 46 dental claim - how to fix 46 denial Source citations: - `X12-CARC` X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (official list). - `ECFR-ERISA-CLAIMS` 29 CFR 2560.503-1 — ERISA claims procedure. - `ECFR-MEDICAID-APPEALS` 42 CFR 438.402 — Medicaid managed-care appeal framework. - `ECFR-MEDICAID-TIMING` 42 CFR 438.408 — Medicaid managed-care appeal timing. ## Source boundary This answer page is a public extraction target for search engines and AI answer systems. Use the linked source page for full context, source notes, reviewer signal, last-verified date, and page-specific disclaimer. ## Review state Dentovio is an independent publisher — not a payer, the ADA, X12, CAQH CORE, or any government agency. Code meanings and remark-code meanings on this page are Dentovio's own wording, written from the official X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Code and Remittance Advice Remark Code lists and linked back to them; X12 holds the copyright in those lists and its descriptions are not reproduced here. CDT codes are referenced by number only; CDT is the American Dental Association's copyrighted code set and this page does not reproduce ADA descriptors. Appealability verdicts are Dentovio editorial classification, not a standard. Every fact traces to the code steward's registry, a federal rule or manual, a HIPAA operating rule, an association publication, or a named payer's own document — never to a billing blog. This page was drafted with AI assistance and verified against the primary sources linked here. It has not been reviewed by a credentialed dental billing specialist, attorney, or clinician. Educational billing reference only — not billing, legal, or clinical advice. Plan contracts control individual outcomes, and processing policies usually live in the payer's provider manual rather than in the signed agreement. ## Supporting public URLs - [/dental-claim-denial-codes](https://dentovio.com/dental-claim-denial-codes) - [/dental-claim-documentation](https://dentovio.com/dental-claim-documentation) ## Related answers - [California dental practice compliance checklist](https://dentovio.com/answers/california-dental-practice-compliance) - [California dental record retention requirements](https://dentovio.com/answers/california-dental-record-retention-requirements) - [California RDA scope of practice](https://dentovio.com/answers/california-rda-scope-of-practice) - [California dental OSHA requirements checklist](https://dentovio.com/answers/california-dental-osha-requirements-checklist)