Denial Code CO-14

About CO-14

Denial Code

Group Code

Category

Quick Facts

CO (Contractual Obligation)

CO-14 is a Claim Adjustment Reason Code (CARC) used when the patient's date of birth follows the reported date of service. Resolution generally requires verifying patient demographics, correcting inaccurate service dates, and resolving discrepancies in payer eligibility records.

CO-14

Patient Responsibility

Common Payers

Next Step

Generally No

Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial

Verify Patient Dates

Date of Birth Error

What Does CO-14 Mean?

The CO-14 denial code means the date of birth associated with the patient occurs after the date of service submitted on the claim.

A patient cannot receive healthcare services before their birth. When the payer identifies this chronological inconsistency, the claim may be denied because the reported dates cannot both be correct.

For example, a claim with a date of service of March 10, 2026, and a patient date of birth of March 15, 2026, may receive CO-14.

The denial does not necessarily indicate that the service was invalid or medically unnecessary. In most cases, the issue involves incorrect demographic information, an inaccurate service date, or a mismatch with the payer's records.

Common Causes

CO-14 may occur when:

• The patient's date of birth was entered incorrectly.

• The wrong year was reported on the claim.

• The date of service contains a typographical error.

• The payer has inaccurate birth date information.

• The wrong patient or insurance member was selected.

• A newborn's birth date was entered incorrectly.

• An incorrect date carried forward from a billing template.

• Claim demographics do not match payer eligibility records.

Date-entry errors involving the month, day, or year should be checked before requesting reconsideration.

How To Fix CO-14

When CO-14 appears on a claim:

1. Review the EOB or ERA. Confirm the adjustment reason and identify the affected claim.

2. Verify the patient's date of birth. Compare the claim with registration and eligibility records.

3. Check the date of service. Confirm when the healthcare service was actually performed.

4. Compare payer records. Determine whether the payer has the correct birth date on file.

5. Verify patient identification. Confirm the claim was submitted under the correct patient and member ID.

6. Review the original claim. Check for transposed dates, incorrect years, or data-entry errors.

7. Correct inaccurate information. Update the claim or patient registration record when necessary.

8. Submit a corrected claim. Follow the payer's procedures when the original claim contained an error.

9. Request reprocessing. If the claim was accurate but payer records were incorrect, resolve the discrepancy and request review.

The corrected information must match the patient's actual records and the documented date of service.

Documentation to Review

Before correcting or appealing CO-14, review:

• Original claim.

• Patient date of birth.

• Date of service.

• Patient registration records.

• Insurance eligibility information.

• Medical encounter documentation.

• EOB or ERA.

• Payer demographic records.

• Claim submission history.

These records help establish which date is incorrect and whether the problem originated with the provider or payer.

Billing and Claim Considerations

CO-14 is primarily a date-validation and demographic accuracy issue rather than a medical necessity or procedure coding denial.

The appropriate resolution depends on whether the incorrect information appears on the claim or in the payer's eligibility system.

Incorrect Date of Birth

If the patient's birth date was entered incorrectly, update the demographic information and correct the claim according to payer requirements. Confirm that the registration system is also accurate to prevent future denials.

Incorrect Date of Service

If the service date was entered incorrectly, compare the claim with the medical record and correct the reported date. The corrected date must reflect when the service was actually performed.

Incorrect Payer Records

When the claim contains accurate information but the payer has the wrong date of birth, the eligibility record may need to be updated before the claim can be reprocessed.

Wrong Patient Information

A claim submitted under the wrong patient or insurance member may require more than a date correction. Verify the patient identity and follow the payer's instructions for correcting or replacing the claim.

CO-14 Denials on Newborn Claims

Newborn claims require particular attention because patient registration and insurance enrollment may occur shortly after birth.

A CO-14 denial may result when:

• The newborn's birth year was entered incorrectly.

• The claim uses an incorrect service date.

• The newborn was registered under the wrong patient record.

• The insurance record contains an inaccurate birth date.

• Information from the mother's account was incorrectly transferred to the newborn's claim.

For example, a newborn delivered on December 31 may receive services extending into January. If the billing system incorrectly assigns the following year as the birth year, services provided before that recorded birth date may trigger CO-14.

Verify the newborn's actual birth date, encounter dates, patient identification, and payer enrollment information before resubmitting.

Where To Check the Dates on a Claim

The location of the reported dates depends on the claim format.

CMS-1500 Professional Claims

• Box 3: Patient's date of birth.

• Box 24A: Date or dates of service.

UB-04 Institutional Claims

• Form Locator 10: Patient's birth date.

• Form Locator 6: Statement covers period.

• Form Locator 45: Service date when applicable.

For electronic claims, review the corresponding patient demographic and service-date information transmitted through the billing system.

Comparing these fields with the medical record and eligibility response can help identify the source of the discrepancy.

Common Billing Mistakes

Common mistakes involving CO-14 include:

• Entering the wrong birth year.

• Transposing the month and day.

• Reporting an incorrect date of service.

• Using outdated or inaccurate patient registration information.

• Failing to verify newborn demographics.

• Submitting a claim under the wrong patient.

• Resubmitting without correcting the original error.

• Changing a service date without documentation.

• Appealing before checking the claim's reported dates.

Verifying patient demographics and service dates during registration and claim submission can reduce repeated CO-14 denials.

When Should CO-14 Be Appealed?

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

An appeal or payer review may be appropriate when:

• The patient's date of birth was reported correctly.

• The date of service matches the medical documentation.

• The claim was submitted under the correct patient.

• The payer's demographic information was inaccurate.

• The eligibility discrepancy has been corrected.

• A payer processing error caused the denial.

When the original claim is accurate, providers should confirm that the payer's records have been updated before requesting reprocessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CO-14 mean in medical billing?

CO-14 means the payer identified a patient's date of birth that occurs after the reported date of service. The dates must be verified before the claim can be corrected or reprocessed.

Can an incorrect birth year cause CO-14?

Yes. A typographical error in the birth year can make the patient appear to have been born after receiving the billed service.

Can newborn claims receive CO-14?

Yes. Incorrect newborn registration information, birth dates, or service dates can create the date conflict associated with CO-14.

Should a CO-14 denial be corrected or appealed?

A corrected claim is generally appropriate when the original claim contains inaccurate information. Payer review or an appeal may be necessary when the submitted dates are correct.

What if the payer has the wrong date of birth?

Contact the payer to determine how its demographic record should be corrected. Once the information is updated, request claim reprocessing according to the payer's instructions.

Related Denial Codes

CO-13 Denial Code
Patient's recorded date of death precedes the date of service.

CO-16 Denial Code
Claim or service contains missing or incorrect information required for adjudication.

CO-31 Denial Code
Patient cannot be identified as an insured member under the reported coverage.

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