CARC Code
6
Procedure Inconsistent with Patient Age
The service or procedure billed is not appropriate for the patient's age according to the payer's guidelines. For example, a pediatric vaccine was billed for an adult, or a geriatric screening was billed for a child.
codingHow to resolve this denial
Verify patient age and correct the procedure code
- 1
Pull the original claim and review the specific field flagged by the RARC code
- 2
Compare claim data against the patient's insurance card and eligibility response
- 3
Correct the identified field(s) in the practice management system
- 4
Resubmit the corrected claim via the payer portal or clearinghouse
- 5
Confirm receipt and track the corrected claim to adjudication
▶✓ 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-6 — stats, related codes, appeal template
82%
Recovery Rate
7-14 days
Avg. Resolution
Medium
Difficulty
Occasional
Frequency
Payer-Specific Notes
How major payers handle CARC 6 by specialty.
Aetna
Aetna uses CO-6 when procedure/diagnosis combination fails edit. Check RARC for specific field.
Common 835 Combinations
CARC 6 most often appears with these Group Code + RARC combinations on 835 remittances.
Appeal Letter Template
Generic appeal template for CARC 6 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 6 indicating: "The procedure/revenue code is inconsistent with the patient's age.." 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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