MA61: Missing/incomplete/invalid social security number
The claim was submitted with a missing or invalid Social Security Number where the payer's system expected one to identify the patient or subscriber.
Corrective actions
- 1
Confirm which identifier the payer actually requires
Many payers, including Medicare, now use the MBI instead of SSN; confirm whether this remark reflects an outdated identifier requirement in your claim setup.
- 2
Correct and resubmit
If an SSN is genuinely required by this payer, obtain the correct number from the patient or guarantor and resubmit as a corrected claim.
Denial codes it is usually paired with
MA61 is the detail behind a CARC rather than an adjustment in its own right. These are the denial codes our dataset records it alongside.
Frequently asked questions
What does remark code MA61 mean?
The claim was submitted with a missing or invalid Social Security Number where the payer's system expected one to identify the patient or subscriber.
Retrieved 2026-07-18.
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Denial7 provides billing and administrative guidance based on published CMS and X12 sources. It is not medical advice, not a coverage determination, and not a guarantee of payment. NCCI and MUE edits are republished quarterly and payer policies vary by contract. Always confirm against the payer's own current policy before submitting or appealing.