Health insurance denial & claim adjustment codes

What health insurance denial code 288 means on your EOB

Your plan required a referral for this service and has none on file. Referral requirements are administrative rather than clinical, and many plans accept a retroactive referral from your primary care provider within a defined window.

What usually causes it

• The plan requires a referral and none was recorded.
• The referral was issued but not transmitted.
• The referral expired.

The documents that decide it

• Your plan's referral requirement.
• Any referral your primary care provider issued.
• The date of service.

What to do next

Ask your primary care provider to issue or re-transmit the referral. Many plans accept retroactive referrals within a window.

This page explains what a code means. It is information, not advice — it does not tell you whether your specific claim should have been paid, and it is not legal, medical, or insurance advice. Your plan documents and your denial notice govern your situation.