# CO 16 denial code dental

Answer: On a dental remittance, code CO 16 means: The claim is missing information or contains a submission or billing error; the remittance must carry a remark code saying what is missing. Not used for missing attachments. technical: fix and resubmit. This is not an appeal situation — correct the identified element and resubmit. Track the payer's timely-filing window while you fix it: a corrected claim must still land inside it.

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Answer intent ID: `dental-denial-code-co-16`
Cluster: Practice operations
Last verified: 2026-08-29
Reviewer: see source page

## Direct answer

On a dental remittance, code CO 16 means: The claim is missing information or contains a submission or billing error; the remittance must carry a remark code saying what is missing. Not used for missing attachments. technical: fix and resubmit. This is not an appeal situation — correct the identified element and resubmit. Track the payer's timely-filing window while you fix it: a corrected claim must still land inside it.

## Query patterns

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Source citations:
- `X12-CARC` X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes (official list). <https://x12.org/codes/claim-adjustment-reason-codes>

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