CARC · Patient Responsibility (patient owes)

Denial Code PR-3

Co-payment Amount

Category
CARC
Not appealable, patient responsibility%
Avg Overturn Rate on Appeal
5
FAQs Answered Below

Why PR-3 Happens, Common Root Causes

Co-payment amount. Fixed dollar amount per visit or service the patient owes, defined by their plan. • Standard primary care or specialist visit copay (typically $10-$50) • ER copay (typically $100-$300) • Urgent care copay (typically $50-$100) • Specialist tier copay if your specialty is in a higher tier

How to handle a PR-3 balance

Not appealable, this is plan benefit design. Collect from patient at time of service per plan terms.

Template

Patient statement template

Use this statement to bill the patient for the adjusted amount. Before sending, verify the patient owes the balance per their plan (and for Medicare, that a valid ABN was signed when required).

[Your Practice Letterhead]
[Date]

[Patient Name]
[Patient Address]

Re: Account Balance, Date of Service [DOS]
Claim Number: [Claim Number]

Dear [Patient Name]:

Your insurance claim for the service provided on [DOS] has been processed by [Payer Name]. The insurer has determined that the following amount is your responsibility under your plan benefit design:

Adjustment code: PR-3
Description: Co-payment Amount
Amount due: $[Amount]

This amount represents your [deductible / copay / coinsurance / non-covered portion] per your plan terms. Please remit payment by [Due Date] or contact our billing office at [Phone] to arrange a payment plan.

If you believe this amount is incorrect, please contact [Payer Name] member services using the number on the back of your insurance card to verify your benefit details.

Sincerely,
[Practice Name] Billing Department
[Phone] · [Email]

---
Before sending: if this is a Medicare claim and a valid Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) was not signed before the service, consult Medicare guidelines. Certain non-covered services cannot be billed to the patient without proper advance notice. Practices should maintain ABN records and verify signature status before generating patient statements for PR-denied Medicare claims.

🛡 Preventing PR-3 Denials

Display copay amount in the patient portal and at check-in. Train front-desk staff to collect copay BEFORE the visit, post-visit copay collection rates are 60% lower. For specialty practices, verify the copay tier in eligibility, specialist tier copays are often double the primary care amount.

PR-3 FAQ

What does denial code PR-3 mean? +

Denial code PR-3 indicates: Co-payment Amount. This falls under Patient Responsibility (patient owes).

Can I appeal a PR-3 denial? +

Not by the provider. PR-3 represents the patient's responsibility per their plan benefit design (deductible, copay, coinsurance, or non-covered service). Send a patient statement. The patient can dispute the plan determination with their payer directly.

Can I bill the patient for a PR-3 denial? +

Yes. PR (Patient Responsibility) denials indicate the patient owes the balance under their plan design. Send a patient statement. For Medicare non-covered services, ensure a valid Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) was signed before the service — without one, you generally cannot bill the patient.

How do I prevent PR-3 denials? +

Display copay amount in the patient portal and at check-in. Train front-desk staff to collect copay BEFORE the visit, post-visit copay collection rates are 60% lower. For specialty practices, verify the copay tier in eligibility, specialist tier copays are often double the primary care amount.

What are the common root causes of PR-3? +

Co-payment amount. Fixed dollar amount per visit or service the patient owes, defined by their plan. • Standard primary care or specialist visit copay (typically $10-$50) • ER copay (typically $100-$300) • Urgent care copay (typically $50-$100) • Specialist tier copay if your specialty is in a higher tier

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Download the appeal letter template

Copy the template above, customize clinical reasoning, and attach supporting documentation.

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PR

Appeal template and root-cause analysis verified against the X12 Claim Adjustment Reason Code reference and CMS NCCI 2026. See data sources and methodology.

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Reviewed by the PayerReady Medical Coding Team

Verified against the CMS 2026 code set on May 31, 2026.

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