CARC Code
203
Discontinued or Reduced Service
The payer adjusted or denied the claim because the service billed was discontinued or reduced according to the contract. The full amount billed cannot be paid based on contractual terms.
contractualHow to resolve this denial
Verify service was provided as billed; correct units/dates if service was partial
- 1
Review the remittance advice to confirm the adjustment amount is accurate
- 2
Verify the contractual write-off against your fee schedule
- 3
Post the adjustment to the patient account
- 4
Do not balance bill the patient for this contractual reduction
- 5
Document the adjustment in your billing system
▶✓ Pre-action checklist — verify before contacting the payer
Review the full remittance advice (ERA/EOB) for additional RARC codes that explain the denial.
Verify the claim was submitted with correct patient eligibility and benefit information.
Check if this denial applies to a specific line item or the entire claim.
▶More about CO-203 — stats, related codes, appeal template
99%
Recovery Rate
1-3 days
Avg. Resolution
Medium
Difficulty
Rare
Frequency
Payer-Specific Notes
How major payers handle CARC 203 by specialty.
UnitedHealthcare
Review UHC's online claim status tool for additional detail on this adjustment.
Appeal Letter Template
Generic appeal template for CARC 203 denials.
We are submitting a formal appeal for claim [CLAIM_NUMBER] for patient [PATIENT_NAME], date of service [DOS]. This claim was denied/adjusted with CARC 203 indicating: "Discontinued or reduced service.." We have reviewed the claim and are providing the attached documentation to support reconsideration. [SUPPORTING_DOCUMENTATION]. Please reconsider payment per the terms of our contract.
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