CO-171Contractual ObligationContractual
CO-171 Denial Code: Not payable by this provider type in this facility
The combination of provider type and facility type isn't payable — right service, wrong setting/provider pairing.
Why CO-171 happens
- ●Service restricted to certain facility types (e.g., hospital-only procedures billed at ASC)
- ●Provider category not recognized for this service in this setting
How to fix a CO-171 denial
- 1
Check the payer's policy in the 835 reference; rebill with correct POS if it was a data error
- 2
Redirect future scheduling to compliant settings
How to prevent it
Load payer site-of-service restrictions into scheduling rules.
Drowning in CO-171 denials?
OakClaim works every denial within 48 hours and builds prevention rules so they stop recurring.