# New claim edits: Missing or invalid Payer Claim Control Number

> Stedi now rejects 837P professional, 837D dental, and 837I institutional claims when the PCCN is missing when required – or included when it shouldn’t.

Published Dec 1, 2025

Product: Claim edits

Stedi now rejects [837P professional](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/submit-professional-claims), [837D dental](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/submit-dental-claims), and [837I institutional](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/submit-institutional-claims) claims when the Payer Claim Control Number (PCCN) is missing when required – or included when it shouldn’t be.

A PCCN is the claim number the payer assigns after they receive and process a claim. It’s the payer’s unique ID for that claim.

You only include a PCCN when you’re replacing or voiding a previous claim. In those cases, payers use it to link the new claim to the original.

If a PCCN is included on a new claim – or missing when you’re replacing or voiding a previous claim – the payer may reject the claim. These edits catch those issues before your claim reaches the payer.

**When the PCCN must be included**  
A claim’s Claim Frequency Code indicates whether it replaces or voids a previous claim. A PCCN is required if the frequency code is:

- `7` – Replacement of Prior Claim

- `8` – Void/Cancel of Prior Claim

- `G` – Common Working File (NCH) generated adjustment claim

- `I` – Miscellaneous adjustment claim

- `X` – Void/Cancel a Prior Abbreviated Encounter Submission

- `Y` –  Replacement of prior abbreviated encounter submission

If the PCCN is missing when one of these codes is used, Stedi rejects the claim using a new edit – an industry term for an automated validation rule.

If you submit a claim that fails the edit using Stedi’s [claim submission APIs](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/intro-to-claim-submission#api-claim-submission) or [professional claim form](https://www.stedi.com/docs/providers/providers-submit-claims), you’ll get back an error message in real time. If you’re using a JSON API endpoint, the response includes details in the [errors](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/api-reference/post-healthcare-claims#response.errors) array:

```jsonc
{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "33",
      "description": "The Payer Claim Control Number is missing. This is required when submitting a replacement or void claim (Frequency code 7, 8, G, I, X, Y). Correct and resubmit.",
      "followupAction": "Please Correct and Resubmit"
    }
  ]
}
```

If you submit a claim that fails the edit using SFTP, Stedi will reject the claim with a [277CA claim acknowledgment](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/claim-responses-overview#277ca-claim-acknowledgment). The acknowledgment will contain a related claim status category code, claim status code, and error message. You can use the error message to correct and resubmit the claim.

**When the PCCN must be excluded**  
If the Claim Frequency Code is not one of the codes above, you should not include a PCCN. If one is present, Stedi rejects the claim using a new edit.

If you submit a claim that fails the edit using Stedi’s [claim submission APIs](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/intro-to-claim-submission#api-claim-submission) or [professional claim form](https://www.stedi.com/docs/providers/providers-submit-claims), you’ll get back an error message in real time. If you’re using a JSON API endpoint, the response includes details in the [`errors`](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/api-reference/post-healthcare-claims#response.errors) array:

```jsonc
{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "33",
      "description": "The Payer Claim Control Number should not be reported on this claim. This should only be used when submitting a replacement or void claim (Frequency code 7, 8, G, I, X, Y). Correct and resubmit.",
      "followupAction": "Please Correct and Resubmit"
    }
  ]
}
```

If you submit a claim that fails the edit using SFTP, Stedi will reject the claim with a [277CA claim acknowledgment](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/claim-responses-overview#277ca-claim-acknowledgment). The acknowledgment will contain a related claim status category code, claim status code, and error message. You can use the error message to correct and resubmit the claim.