CO P19 denial code

Claim adjustment reason code P19. Often reported as CO P19.

Zero relative value in fee schedule

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 P19 means

The procedure has a relative value of zero in the jurisdiction fee schedule, so no payment is due for it.

It belongs to property and casualty billing, such as workers' compensation or auto medical claims. Some fee schedules assign zero value to services they consider bundled or not separately payable. P19 means the code billed has that zero value.

The line was processed correctly according to the schedule, so appeals are usually only worthwhile if the wrong code was billed.

Group codes seen with P19

On a remittance, P19 comes after a group code. These are the ones it is most often reported with:

• CO P19 (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

• The code is considered part of another service under the fee schedule.
• The service has no separate payment in the jurisdiction.
• The wrong code was billed for the service provided.

What to do next

1. Confirm the relative value for the code in the applicable fee schedule.
2. Rebill with the correct code if a different code describes the service.
3. Post the line as an adjustment if the zero value applies.

Related codes

• P18 (reason code) Priced like a similar service
• P14 (reason code) Included in another same day service
• P12 (reason code) Workers' comp fee schedule adjustment