***

title: Troubleshooting
subtitle: Common errors and how to resolve them
slug: troubleshooting
---------------------

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 full documentation content, see https://docs.rebateright.com.au/llms-full.txt.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="&#x22;Unauthorized access.&#x22; Response">
    This indicates that a valid **API Key** was not provided in your request.

    **Resolution**

    Refer to the Authentication section for details on how to include your API key correctly. Ensure your `x-api-key` header is present and valid in every request.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The '...' field is not provided">
    A required field is missing from your request. The `reason` field in the response provides exact details about the missing field name enclosed in single quotes.

    **Example:** `"Reason": "The 'PrincipalProviderNumber' field is not provided."`

    **Resolution**

    Include the missing field in your request and try again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Referral details and referral override code both provided.&#x22;">
    Both referral details (such as referring provider number) and a referral override code (e.g. `N – Not required`) were included in the same request. Medicare only allows one.

    **Resolution**

    Include **either** referral details **or** a referral override code — not both.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Invalid Referral Type or Service Type combination">
    The combination of `ReferralTypeCode` and `ServiceTypeCode` does not meet Medicare's validation rules.

    **Resolution**

    | ReferralTypeCode | Required ServiceTypeCode |
    | ---------------- | ------------------------ |
    | `S` or `D`       | `S` (Specialist)         |
    | `P`              | `P` (Pathology)          |

    Confirm both values exactly match one of the valid MBS combinations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid or inconsistent Referral Issue Date.&#x22;">
    The Referral Issue Date is invalid — it may be 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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid Provider Number format.&#x22;">
    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: `123456A7`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Referrer and servicing provider cannot be the same.&#x22;">
    The referring provider number matches the servicing provider number. Medicare requires different provider stems for each.

    **Resolution**

    Use a referring provider number with a **different 6-digit stem** from the servicing provider's number.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Hospital indicator or Facility ID missing.&#x22;">
    A hospital-related referral override code (`H`) was provided, but required hospital fields were not included.

    **Resolution**

    If `ReferralOverrideCode` is `H`:

    * Set `HospitalIndicator` to `Y`
    * Provide a valid `FacilityID`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid or inconsistent service date.&#x22;">
    The Service Date is in the future or outside Medicare's permitted timeframe.

    **Resolution**

    Ensure the service date:

    * Is **not in the future**
    * Is **within 2 years** of the transmission date
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid Medicare card number or IRN.&#x22;">
    The Medicare card number or IRN (Individual Reference Number) is invalid.

    **Resolution**

    * 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** (not 0)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Incomplete collection or accession date/time (pathology).&#x22;">
    A Collection or Accession timestamp was provided without its corresponding value.

    **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**
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Medicare rejected the request.&#x22; or &#x22;Response incomplete.&#x22;">
    Medicare rejected the transaction due to missing or invalid dependent fields, or incomplete data required for claim validation.

    **Resolution**

    Review the `reason` or `errorDescription` field in the response for specific details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Too many Medical Events in claim.&#x22;">
    An interactive patient claim contains more than 16 Medical Events.

    **Resolution**

    * Limit each claim to **16 Medical Events**
    * Split additional events into separate claims
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Too many services in a Medical Event.&#x22;">
    A Medical Event contains more than 14 services.

    **Resolution**

    * Limit each Medical Event to **14 services**
    * Split additional services into separate Medical Events
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Too many services in a Patient Claim.&#x22;">
    The claim contains more than 16 services overall.

    **Resolution**

    * Limit the claim to **16 services total**
    * Split additional services into separate claims
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Duplicate or out-of-sequence Medical Event ID.&#x22;">
    One or more Medical Event IDs are duplicated or not in the correct sequence (01–16).

    **Resolution**

    * Ensure Medical Event IDs are **unique**
    * IDs must **start at 01** and **increment by one** sequentially
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Duplicate Service ID in claim.&#x22;">
    A Service ID is repeated within the same claim.

    **Resolution**

    Ensure all Service IDs are **unique within the claim**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid Account Paid Indicator.&#x22;">
    The Account Paid Indicator is not `Y` or `N`, or is inconsistent with EFT details.

    **Resolution**

    * Must be `Y` (paid) or `N` (not paid)
    * If EFT details are supplied, set `AccountPaidIndicator = Y`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid Account Reference ID.&#x22;">
    The Account Reference ID contains invalid characters or is the wrong length.

    **Resolution**

    * Must be **1–9 characters**
    * Allowed characters: `0-9, A-Z, a-z, @ # $ % + = : ; , . -`
    * No leading or trailing spaces
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Invalid Referral Period or Type.&#x22;">
    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)          |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="&#x22;Submission Authority not set.&#x22;">
    The claim cannot be submitted digitally because `SubmissionAuthorityInd` is missing or invalid.

    **Resolution**

    Set `SubmissionAuthorityInd = Y` to indicate the claimant authorised digital submission.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

<Note>
  Still stuck? Reach out to the RebateRight team at [support@rebateright.com.au](mailto:support@rebateright.com.au) — we're happy to help.
</Note>