CO-45: Charge exceeds the contracted fee schedule
UPDATED JULY 2026 · U.S. PLANS · NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE
Not really a denial: the billed price was higher than the insurer's negotiated rate, and the difference is written off. In-network providers cannot bill you for this adjustment.
CO-45 at a glance
- Code group: CO — Contractual Obligation — in-network providers generally cannot bill you for CO adjustments.
- Who usually fixes it: The provider’s billing office.
- Worth appealing? Rarely — usually fixed by resubmission.
What to do about a CO-45 denial
- Check your EOB: you owe at most your deductible/coinsurance share of the allowed amount.
- If the provider bills you for the written-off difference (in-network), dispute it — that's balance billing the contract forbids.
Denied? Don’t drop it
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