M76
Remittance Advice Remark Code (RARC)
M76 Denial Code: Diagnosis on the claim is missing or invalid
A RARC remark that the diagnosis is missing, incomplete, or invalid. It rides alongside a CARC (often CO-16 or CO-11) and points specifically at the diagnosis as the problem.
- Group code
- N/A (no group code)
- Code type
- RARC
- Billable to patient?
- N/A - remark code
- Appealable?
- Informational - correct and resubmit
- Category
- Missing or Invalid Information
On a remittance
LQ*HE*M76Appears as a remark code alongside a claim adjustment reason code.What M76 means
M76 is a Remittance Advice Remark Code, not a standalone reason code. It clarifies that the diagnosis is the issue behind the paired CARC - missing, not coded to the required specificity, or invalid for the date of service. Correct the diagnosis and resubmit a corrected claim.
Common causes
- The diagnosis code is missing from the claim.
- The diagnosis lacks the specificity the payer or procedure requires.
- The diagnosis was invalid or deleted for the date of service.
How to fix it
- Identify the paired CARC (for example CO-16 or CO-11) for the overall action.
- Code the correct, fully specified, active diagnosis from the documentation.
- Resubmit a corrected claim with the valid diagnosis.
How to prevent it
- Code diagnoses to the highest documented specificity.
- Validate diagnosis codes against the date of service.
- Use a scrubber that flags missing or invalid diagnoses pre-submission.
Informational - correct and resubmitM76 is informational - it tells you the diagnosis is the problem. Correct the diagnosis and resubmit rather than appealing, and follow the paired CARC for the formal action.