CO 282 denial code

Claim adjustment reason code 282. Often reported as CO 282.

Code does not fit the type of bill

Unofficial reference. This is our own plain-English explanation, not the official code text. Payer rules differ. Verify with the payer and the official X12 code list. AlphaPrefix is not affiliated with X12, CMS or any payer. Data last updated Nov 11, 2026.

What 282 means

The procedure or revenue code on the claim does not fit the type of bill submitted, so it cannot be processed as billed.

On institutional claims the type of bill tells the payer the setting and kind of claim, such as inpatient, outpatient, or a specific facility type. Some codes only make sense with certain bill types, and this one did not match.

Check the 835 for a policy reference in the Healthcare Policy Identification segment (loop 2110 REF).

Group codes seen with 282

On a remittance, 282 comes after a group code. These are the ones it is most often reported with:

• CO 282 (Contractual Obligation): The provider's side of the ledger. The reduction comes from the payer contract or a rule the provider has to follow, and the patient normally cannot be billed for it.

The payer chooses the group code for each adjustment, so the same reason code can appear with another group code on your remittance. Read the two together. More about group codes.

Common causes

• An inpatient only service was billed on an outpatient type of bill, or the reverse.
• A revenue code was used that the payer does not accept for that facility type.
• The type of bill was entered wrong on the claim.

What to do next

1. Check the type of bill and the revenue and procedure codes together.
2. Correct the bill type or codes and send a corrected claim.
3. Review the payer's billing guide for which codes are allowed with each bill type.

Related codes

• 4 (reason code) Procedure code and modifier do not match
• 16 (reason code) Missing information or billing error
• 306 (reason code) Bill type does not match patient status