RARC N115: This decision was based on a Local Coverage Determination (LCD)
A Medicare local policy in your geographic area was used to decide whether to cover this service.
What this means for your claim
Medicare contractors can create Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) that specify when and for whom certain services are covered. These are public documents.
What to do next
- 1
Look up the specific LCD on the CMS Coverage Database at cms.gov using the procedure code.
- 2
Verify whether your clinical situation meets the LCD's coverage criteria.
- 3
If your diagnosis and clinical circumstance qualify under the LCD, appeal with chart notes citing the relevant LCD language.
How to use a remark code on your EOB
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC) don't usually create a charge on their own. Instead they add context to an accompanying adjustment code — explaining why a claim was reduced, what additional information is needed, or what action the provider or patient must take. Read a remark code as a clue: it tells you what to ask about and where the real issue lives.
Pair the remark with its adjustment code
A remark code almost always travels alongside a CARC adjustment. Look at the two together on your EOB — the adjustment tells you the dollar impact, and the remark tells you the underlying reason. Resolving the issue means addressing the adjustment, using the remark as your guide.
Act quickly when a remark requests information
Some remark codes signal that the insurer needs additional records, an itemized bill, or proof of timely filing before they'll pay. These often carry deadlines. If the request is the provider's to fulfill, follow up with their billing office; if it's yours, send what's asked for promptly so the claim can be reprocessed.
Keep a written record of every follow-up
Because remark codes frequently kick off a back-and-forth between you, the provider, and the insurer, write down dates, names, and reference numbers for every call. That record is what makes a later appeal credible if the claim isn't resolved in your favor.
Your appeal rights for RARC N115
If a remark code points to a reduced or denied payment that you believe is wrong, treat it the same way you'd treat the adjustment it accompanies: request a written explanation, supply any information the insurer asked for, and file a formal internal appeal if the issue isn't resolved. Your ACA appeal rights — internal review and then independent external review — apply here too.
Have more codes on your EOB?
Upload your full Explanation of Benefits and our analyzer will identify every adjustment code, explain each one in plain English, and flag anything worth disputing.
Analyze My EOB Free →