Denial Code CO-13

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Patient's recorded date of death precedes the date of service.

The CO-13 denial code indicates that the payer's records show the patient died before the date a healthcare service was provided.

This denial may result from an incorrect date of service, inaccurate death information in the payer's eligibility records, or a claim submitted under the wrong patient. Providers should compare the service date with the patient's recorded date of death and determine which information requires correction.

About CO-13

Denial Code

Group Code

Category

Quick Facts

CO (Contractual Obligation)

CO-13 is a Claim Adjustment Reason Code (CARC) used when the patient's recorded date of death precedes the billed date of service. Resolution typically requires verifying service dates, correcting inaccurate claim or eligibility information, and requesting reprocessing when appropriate.

CO-13

Patient Responsibility

Common Payers

Next Step

Generally No

Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial

Verify Service Dates

Date of Death Conflict

What Does CO-13 Mean?

The CO-13 denial code means the payer determined that the patient's date of death occurred before the date of service reported on the claim.

Insurance companies use eligibility and beneficiary records to verify whether a patient was eligible to receive services on the billed date. When those records indicate that the patient was already deceased, the claim may be denied.

For example, if the payer lists a patient's date of death as March 10 but receives a claim for services performed on March 15, the claim may trigger CO-13.

However, the denial does not automatically mean the service was billed incorrectly. The payer may have an inaccurate date of death, or the provider may have entered the wrong service date.

Common Causes

CO-13 may occur when:

The date of service was entered incorrectly.
The payer has an incorrect date of death on file.
A patient was mistakenly recorded as deceased.
The claim was submitted under the wrong patient.
A date was transposed during claim entry.
An incorrect date of death was reported on an institutional claim.
Medicare or Social Security records contain inaccurate death information.
The claim includes services dated after the patient's recorded death.

Identifying whether the error originated from the claim or payer eligibility records is essential before resubmission.

How To Fix CO-13

When CO-13 appears on a claim:

Review the EOB or ERA. Confirm that CO-13 was assigned and identify the affected service.
Verify the date of service. Compare the billed date with the patient's medical record and encounter documentation.
Check the date of death. Review the date recorded in the payer's eligibility system.
Confirm patient identification. Ensure the claim was submitted for the correct patient and insurance member.
Review institutional claim information. Check discharge status and death-related occurrence codes when applicable.
Correct billing errors. Submit a corrected claim or adjustment when the service date or other claim information was reported incorrectly.
Resolve inaccurate death records. Contact the payer or appropriate agency when the recorded date of death is incorrect.
Request reprocessing. Once the information is corrected, follow the payer's instructions to have the claim reconsidered.

If the patient is alive but payer records incorrectly indicate otherwise, the underlying eligibility record must be corrected to prevent additional denials.

Documentation to Review

Before correcting or appealing CO-13, review:

Original claim.
Date of service.
Patient eligibility records.
Recorded date of death.
Medical records and encounter notes.
Hospital admission and discharge records, when applicable.
EOB or ERA.
Claim submission history.
Documentation verifying the correct death date, when required.

The documentation should establish that the billed service occurred on the reported date and identify any discrepancy in the payer's records.

Billing and Claim Considerations

CO-13 is primarily a date and eligibility verification issue, not a procedure coding or medical necessity denial.

The correct resolution depends on where the discrepancy originated.

Incorrect Date of Service

If the service was performed before the patient's death but billed with the wrong date, correct the claim according to the payer's submission requirements.

Incorrect Date of Death

If the payer's records incorrectly show that the patient died, the eligibility record must be corrected. Simply resubmitting the same claim may result in another denial.

Services Provided on the Date of Death

A service performed on the patient's actual date of death is not automatically invalid. If the payer denies a properly documented same-day service, verify the applicable billing rules and request review when appropriate.

Services Billed After Death

If the patient was deceased before the reported service date, verify whether the claim contains a date error or whether the charge represents a separately billable service subject to specific payer rules. Do not change the service date without documentation.

Medicare Date of Death Errors

Medicare uses beneficiary information from several sources, including Social Security Administration records, to maintain death information used during claim processing.

An incorrect death record can affect multiple claims and prevent payment for otherwise valid services.

For Medicare claims, the correction process depends on the source of the error.

Incorrect provider claim information: The provider may need to submit a claim adjustment.
Incorrect Medicare eligibility information: The underlying beneficiary record must be corrected.
Incorrect Social Security death record: The patient, family member, or authorized representative may need to contact the Social Security Administration.
Incorrect institutional death reporting: The provider should review the discharge status and any reported date-of-death occurrence information.

For applicable institutional claims, Occurrence Code 55 identifies the date of death, while patient discharge status codes 20, 40, 41, and 42 identify different expired-patient circumstances. Incorrect reporting of these fields may require a claim adjustment.

Providers should verify that the corrected information is reflected in Medicare's records before requesting claim reprocessing.

Common Billing Mistakes

Common mistakes involving CO-13 include:

Entering the wrong date of service.
Failing to verify the payer's recorded date of death.
Resubmitting a claim without correcting an eligibility discrepancy.
Reporting services under the wrong patient.
Using an incorrect discharge status.
Reporting an inaccurate date of death on an institutional claim.
Changing service dates without supporting documentation.
Assuming services performed on the date of death are automatically noncovered.
Appealing before identifying whether the claim or eligibility record is incorrect.

Verifying service dates and beneficiary information before resubmission can prevent repeated CO-13 denials.

When Should CO-13 Be Appealed?

A corrected claim is generally appropriate when an incorrect service date, patient identifier, or institutional claim field caused the denial.

An appeal or payer review may be appropriate when:

The date of service was reported correctly.
The service occurred before the patient's death.
The service occurred on the actual date of death and meets applicable billing requirements.
The payer has an incorrect date of death on file.
The underlying eligibility record has been corrected.
Medical documentation supports the billed service.
A payer processing error caused the denial.

If the payer's death information is inaccurate, correcting the underlying record may be necessary before an appeal or reprocessing request can succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CO-13 mean in medical billing?

CO-13 means the payer's records show that the patient's date of death occurred before the date of service submitted on the claim.

Can an incorrect date of death cause CO-13?

Yes. An inaccurate death record in Medicare, Social Security, or another payer's eligibility system can cause valid claims to be denied.

Can services performed on the date of death be billed?

Yes. Services performed on the actual date of death may be payable when they meet applicable coverage and billing requirements. The service date and supporting documentation should be verified.

How do providers correct an incorrect Medicare date of death?

The correction depends on the source of the error. Provider-reported claim information may require an adjustment, while inaccurate beneficiary records may need correction through Social Security or the agency maintaining the eligibility information.

Should a CO-13 claim be resubmitted or appealed?

Submit a corrected claim when the original claim contains an error. If the claim is accurate, resolve any incorrect eligibility information and request payer review or appeal as appropriate.