CO-231Contractual ObligationCoding
CO-231 Denial Code: Mutually exclusive procedures — same day/setting
Mutually exclusive procedures cannot be done on the same day or in the same setting.
Why CO-231 happens
- ●NCCI mutually-exclusive edit pair billed together
How to fix a CO-231 denial
- 1
Check NCCI edits; if clinically distinct and documented, add the appropriate modifier
- 2
Otherwise adjust off the denied line
How to prevent it
Scrub for mutually exclusive pairs pre-submission.
Drowning in CO-231 denials?
OakClaim works every denial within 48 hours and builds prevention rules so they stop recurring.