CO-89Contractual ObligationCoding
CO-89 Denial Code: Professional fees removed from charges
The payer stripped professional fees out of an institutional charge — the professional component must be billed separately (or wasn't payable here).
Why CO-89 happens
- ●Professional and technical components billed together where the payer requires a split
- ●Provider-based billing rules not followed
How to fix a CO-89 denial
- 1
Rebill the professional component on the correct claim form (CMS-1500) with proper modifiers (26/TC)
How to prevent it
Automate PC/TC splits for services where components bill separately.
Drowning in CO-89 denials?
OakClaim works every denial within 48 hours and builds prevention rules so they stop recurring.