CARC 186 denial code: meaning & whether to appeal (verified)
What CARC 186 means
Level of care change adjustment.
Verbatim description from the official X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Codes list.
Classification
Denial class: downcoding
Appealability verdict
Appealable — downcoding
What to know
Appealable when the clinical documentation supports the level billed; the appeal presents the record as billed and asks for reprocessing at that level.