Denial code CO-140: Patient ID number and name do not match
The member ID and the patient name on the claim point to different people in the payer’s records.
Patient/insured health identification number and name do not match.
What CO-140 actually means
A pure data-integrity failure. The payer found the member ID but the name attached to it does not match, or vice versa. It is almost always a registration transcription issue, and it is entirely recoverable — but it also tends to recur across every claim for the affected patient until the underlying record is corrected, so fixing the single claim is only half the job.
Why this denial happens
- The name on file with the payer differs from the name given at registration (maiden name, married name, suffix).
- A dependent’s claim carries the subscriber’s ID with the dependent’s name in the wrong field.
- A transposition or typo in the member ID.
- Nickname or shortened first name used instead of the legal name.
How to resolve a CO-140 denial
- Run eligibility to retrieve the exact name and ID format the payer holds.
- Correct the patient record — not just this claim — so future claims stop failing.
- Resubmit with the corrected demographics.
How to prevent it
- Register patients under their legal name as shown on the insurance card.
- Populate demographics from the eligibility response rather than manual entry where possible.
Frequently asked
What does denial code CO-140 mean?
The member ID and the patient name on the claim point to different people in the payer’s records. The X12 description reads: "Patient/insured health identification number and name do not match."
How do I fix a CO-140 denial?
Run eligibility to retrieve the exact name and ID format the payer holds. Correct the patient record — not just this claim — so future claims stop failing. Resubmit with the corrected demographics.
Can CO-140 be billed to the patient?
Generally no. The recommended path for this code is "appeal or correct and resubmit" — check your payer agreement before transferring any balance to the patient.
Related denial codes
Related billing terms
See how much CO-140 is costing you
Upload your 835 remittance files and PayerVista groups every denial by reason code, payer, and dollar impact — so this code stops being a claim you happened to notice and becomes a number you can work.
General revenue-cycle guidance, not legal, coding, or payer-specific advice. Claim adjustment reason codes are maintained by X12 and are revised periodically; payer policy and your provider agreement govern in any specific case. Always read the remark codes transmitted with the denial — they frequently carry the detail this code does not.