> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.rebateright.com.au/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.rebateright.com.au/_mcp/server. # Errors and retries ## What you see, and what to do | You see | What to do | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [`401` "Unauthorized access."](#error-401) | Send the API Key for the host you sent the request to, in the `x-api-key` header. | | [`400` "Missing required header: x-minor-id"](#error-400-missing-minor-id) | Send the clinic's Minor ID in the `x-minor-id` header. | | [`400` "The Minor ID is not valid."](#error-400-invalid-minor-id) | Send the clinic's Minor ID exactly as RebateRight issued it: 3 capital letters, then 5 digits. | | [No response to a claim, such as a client timeout or a `503`](/claiming#when-a-claim-gets-no-response) | Resend the claim unchanged with its original `correlationId`. For a patient claim, ask the user to confirm first, because the resend pends a pendable claim. | | [A client timeout or a `503` on any other request](#error-503) | Send the request again. | | [`9777`](#error-9777) | Medicare already holds a claim with this `correlationId`. After a resend of a claim that got no response, `9777` means the claim is lodged. Otherwise, send the claim again with a new `correlationId`. | | [`3004`](#error-3004) | Medicare did not process the claim. Send it again with a new `correlationId`. When the message is "Maximum number of … claims reached.", send it the next day. | ## Error details Errors come from RebateRight or from Services Australia. RebateRight's own errors are plain text, including every `401` and `503` and the `400` messages it raises itself. Errors from Services Australia are JSON, with Medicare's code and message for each problem. A `400` can be either, so read the body as text before you parse it as JSON. #### 401: "Unauthorized access." RebateRight did not accept the API Key. The `x-api-key` header is missing, or the key is not valid on the host you sent the request to. **Resolution** Send the API Key that matches the host in the `x-api-key` header of every request. See [Keys, Minor ID and environments](/keys-and-environments). #### 400: "Missing required header: x-minor-id" The endpoint needs the `x-minor-id` header, and the request did not include it. RebateRight stopped the request before it reached Services Australia. **Resolution** Send the clinic's Minor ID in the `x-minor-id` header. See [Keys, Minor ID and environments](/keys-and-environments). #### 400: "The Minor ID is not valid." The `x-minor-id` header is not in the Minor ID format: 3 capital letters, then 5 digits. RebateRight stopped the request before it reached Services Australia. **Resolution** Send the clinic's Minor ID exactly as RebateRight issued it. #### 400: "Request body is empty." The request had no body. RebateRight stopped the request before it reached Services Australia. **Resolution** Send the JSON request body that the endpoint's reference page describes. #### 503: "This service is not available at the moment." RebateRight could not complete the request, for example because the connection to Services Australia failed or timed out. The plain-text body ends with a Request Id. **Resolution** * **A claim.** The response does not say whether Medicare received the claim. Follow [When a claim gets no response](/claiming#when-a-claim-gets-no-response). * **An eligibility check, a verification or a lookup.** Send the request again. * **An error that continues.** Email [hello@rebateright.com.au](mailto:hello@rebateright.com.au) with the Request Id. #### Your request timed out. Your client stopped waiting before a response arrived. **Resolution** * **A claim.** Follow [When a claim gets no response](/claiming#when-a-claim-gets-no-response). That section also gives the client timeout to set. * **An eligibility check, a verification or a lookup.** Send the request again. #### 9777: "Transaction Id submitted for this claim has already been received." or "Claim cannot be pended." Medicare already holds a claim with this `correlationId`, so it did not process this one. **Resolution** * **A resend of a claim that got no response.** Medicare received the first attempt, so the claim is lodged. For a bulk bill or DVA claim, the processing report has the outcome. A patient claim has no report. Sending a patient claim again with a new `correlationId` would lodge a second claim. See [When a claim gets no response](/claiming#when-a-claim-gets-no-response). * **A new or corrected claim that reused a `correlationId`.** Send the claim again with a new `correlationId`. See [Correlation ID](/claiming#correlation-id). * **"Claim cannot be pended."** More than 1 hour has passed since the original patient claim, so Medicare will not pend it. Send the claim again with a new `correlationId`. See [Pendable Claims](/patient-claim-interactive#pendable-claims). #### 3004: "Maximum number of … claims reached." or "An unexpected error has occurred." Medicare returns `3004` for 2 different causes. The message text tells them apart. In both cases, Medicare did not process the claim. **Resolution** * **"Maximum number of … claims reached."** The payee provider and Minor ID have reached Medicare's daily limit for bulk bill or DVA claims. Send the claim the next day with a new `correlationId`. * **"An unexpected error has occurred."** Medicare had a system error. Send the claim again with a new `correlationId`. If the error continues, call the Medicare eBusiness Service Centre on **1800 700 199**. If you see this error in the test environment outside Sydney business hours, retry during business hours, as [Integration test data](/test-data) explains. #### The '...' field is not provided A field the Medicare eligibility check needs is missing from your request. The `Reason` field in the response names the missing field, in single quotes. **Example:** `"Reason": "The 'PrincipalProviderNumber' field is not provided."` **Resolution** Add the missing field to your request and send it again. #### "Referral details and referral override code both provided." The request included both referral details, such as the referring provider number, and a referral override code, such as `N` for not required. Medicare accepts only one of the two. **Resolution** Include **either** referral details **or** a referral override code, not both. #### Invalid Referral Type or Service Type combination Medicare does not accept this combination of `ReferralTypeCode` and `ServiceTypeCode`. **Resolution** | ReferralTypeCode | Required ServiceTypeCode | | ---------------- | ------------------------ | | `S` or `D` | `S` (Specialist) | | `P` | `P` (Pathology) | Send one of the combinations in the table. #### "Invalid or inconsistent Referral Issue Date." The referral issue date is in the future, after the service date or before the patient's date of birth. **Resolution** Ensure the referral issue date: * Is **not in the future** * Is **on or before** the service date * Is **after** the patient's date of birth #### "Invalid Provider Number format." The provider number does not follow the required Medicare format. **Resolution** Provider numbers must be **8 characters** in the format: `6-digit stem + 1 location character + 1 check digit` Example: `2447791K` #### "Referrer and servicing provider cannot be the same." The referring provider number has the same 6-digit stem as the servicing provider number. Medicare requires a different stem for each. **Resolution** Use a referring provider number with a **different 6-digit stem** from the servicing provider's number. #### "Hospital indicator or Facility ID missing." The request sent the hospital referral override code `H` without the hospital fields that code requires. **Resolution** If `ReferralOverrideCode` is `H`: * Set `HospitalIndicator` to `Y` * Provide a valid `FacilityID` #### "Invalid or inconsistent service date." The service date is in the future, or more than 2 years before the transmission date. **Resolution** Ensure the service date: * Is **not in the future** * Is **within 2 years** of the transmission date #### "Invalid Medicare card number or IRN." The Medicare card number or the Individual Reference Number (IRN) is not valid. **Resolution** * The Medicare card number must be **10 digits** with a valid check digit * The **10th digit must not be 0** * The **IRN** must be a single digit from **1 to 9** #### "Incomplete collection or accession date/time (pathology)." The request has a collection date and time or an accession date and time, but not both. **Resolution** If either `CollectionDateTime` or `AccessionDateTime` is provided, both must be included. * Both must use valid Australian time zones * Order must be: **Collection ≤ Accession ≤ ServiceDate** #### 2025: "A maximum of 16 Medical Events are allowed per Patient Claim." An interactive patient claim contains more than 16 Medical Events. A bulk bill claim gets the same code when it contains more than 80. **Resolution** * Limit each patient claim to **16 Medical Events** * Split additional events into separate claims #### 2032: "A maximum of 14 Services are allowed per Medical Event." A Medical Event in a bulk bill or interactive patient claim contains more than 14 services. **Resolution** * Limit each Medical Event to **14 services** * Split additional services into separate Medical Events #### 2033: "A maximum of 16 Services are allowed per Patient Claim." An interactive patient claim contains more than 16 services overall. **Resolution** * Limit the claim to **16 services total** * Split additional services into separate claims #### 2030: "Invalid value of \[…] supplied for Medical Event Id." or "Medical Event Id/s supplied are out of sequence." One or more Medical Event IDs in the claim are duplicated or out of sequence. **Resolution** * Ensure Medical Event IDs are **unique** * IDs must **start at 01** and **increment by one** sequentially #### 2030: "Invalid value of \[…] supplied for Service Id." A Service ID is repeated within the same claim. **Resolution** Ensure all Service IDs are **unique within the claim**. #### 9202: "Invalid value of \[…] supplied for Account Paid Indicator." The `accountPaidInd` value in an interactive patient claim is not `Y` or `N`. **Resolution** Send `Y` if the account was paid in full, or `N` if it was not paid in full. #### 2030: "Temporary bank details have been supplied for an unpaid claim." or "Patient Contribution Amount must not be set…" The `accountPaidInd` value in an interactive patient claim conflicts with another field. **Resolution** * If the claim carries `eftDetails` and the account was paid in full, set `accountPaidInd` to `Y`. If it was not paid in full, remove `eftDetails`. * If any service carries `patientContribAmount` and the account was not paid in full, set `accountPaidInd` to `N`. If it was paid in full, remove `patientContribAmount`. #### 9202: "Invalid value of \[…] supplied for Account Reference Id." The `accountReferenceId` value in an interactive patient claim contains a character Medicare does not accept, or is the wrong length. **Resolution** * Must be **1–9 characters** * Allowed characters: `0-9, A-Z, a-z, @ # $ % + = : ; , . -`, and single spaces between other characters * No leading or trailing spaces #### "Invalid Referral Period or Type." The referral `PeriodCode`, `Period` or `TypeCode` is missing or inconsistent. **Resolution** | Field | Valid values | | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | TypeCode | `S` (Specialist), `P` (Pathology), `D` (Diagnostic) | | Period/PeriodCode | Only set if TypeCode = `S` | | Non-standard referrals (`N`) | Must supply Period 1–98 (not 0, 00 or 99) | --- > **Note** > > For an error this page does not cover, email us at [hello@rebateright.com.au](mailto:hello@rebateright.com.au). For a `503`, include the Request Id from the response.