UB04 Field 7: Future Use

Overview

Field 7 on the UB-04 claim form is reserved for future assignment by the National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC) and is currently not used. The Maryland Medicaid UB-04 billing instructions explicitly state: “FL 07 Reserved for Assignment by NUBC NOT USED” ^[1]. Similarly, the CMS Chapter 25 claim processing manual lists this field as “Unlabeled” in its form locator table, with no defined data element ^[2]. Because the field has not been assigned a purpose by the NUBC, it carries no billing requirement for either inpatient or outpatient claims; both requirement statuses are “Not Required” as indicated in the field summary. Providers should leave this box blank on all UB-04 submissions to avoid confusion or rejection. Any future use will be determined by the NUBC and communicated through official billing guidelines.

When to Use

Field 7 should never be used in current billing practice. The Maryland Medicaid instructions confirm that the field is “Reserved for Assignment by NUBC” and is “NOT USED” ^[1]. The CMS Chapter 25 manual further identifies the field as “Unlabeled,” meaning it has no designated data element ^[2]. Until the NUBC formally assigns a field purpose and announces it through updated billing instructions, providers must not enter any data in this box. Claims that include information in Field 7 may be rejected or returned for correction, as the field is not recognized by processing systems. The only circumstance under which this field would be used is after a future NUBC update, at which point billing instructions from payers and CMS will specify the new requirements. For now, the field remains dormant and should be treated as permanently blank on all UB-04 forms.

Step-by-Step Claim Example

When completing a UB-04 claim, the billing specialist should bypass Field 7 entirely. The field is typically left blank on the paper form and omitted in electronic submissions. For example, consider a simple inpatient claim for a 4-day stay. After entering the Type of Bill (Field 6) as 111, the next field (Field 7) should be skipped. The Maryland Medicaid source states it is “NOT USED” ^[1]. On the electronic 837I transaction, the corresponding segment (e.g., CLM01 or other loop) will not contain any data for this field because no NUBC assignment exists. The CMS table confirms the field is “Unlabeled” ^[2]. Therefore, the claim proceeds from Field 6 directly to Field 8 (Patient Name and Identifier). If a provider accidentally enters a value—such as a date or code—the claim will likely be rejected by the payer’s front-end edits. The correct approach is to leave Field 7 completely blank, ensuring seamless processing.

Common Mistakes & Audit Red Flags

The most common mistake related to Field 7 is entering data in an area that is reserved for future use. Billing staff may misinterpret the blank space and inadvertently insert a secondary payer reference number, a provider note, or an internal tracking code. Because both the Maryland Medicaid and CMS sources explicitly designate the field as “NOT USED” or “Unlabeled,” any such entry violates current billing standards ^[1]; ^[2]. An audit red flag arises when a claim contains a value in Field 7—this can trigger automatic denials or requests for correction, delaying payment. Another mistake is assuming the field is optional and can be used for internal notes; recommended practice is to use remarks fields (e.g., Field 80) for such purposes. Providers should also train billing teams to recognize that NUBC-reserved fields remain off-limits until official updates are published. Regular claim scrubber checks should flag any populated Field 7 as a potential error.

Related Codes/Fields

The table below lists fields adjacent to or related to Field 7 on the UB-04. These fields are referenced in the source documents and are commonly used in conjunction with the overall claim structure.

Field Number	Field Name	Requirement Summary	Source
6	Type of Bill	Required; identifies bill type and frequency	[2] (table shows preceding field)
7	Future Use (Reserved)	Not used; leave blank	[1]; [2]
8a	Patient Name – Identifier	Not required per Maryland; varies by payer	[1]
8b	Patient Name	Required; enter as on Medical Assistance card	[1]
9	Patient Address	Optional; street, city, state, ZIP, country code	[1]
10	Patient Birthdate	Required; format MMDDYYYY	[1]
11	Patient Sex	Not required; enter sex as recorded at admission	[1]

Note: Field numbers may vary slightly by payer; always verify with the most recent NUBC UB-04 Data Specifications Manual.

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References

[1] Maryland Medicaid — FL 7 — https://health.maryland.gov/mmcp/provider/Documents/ffs-billing/UB04-Hospital-Billing-Instructions%20%281%29.pdf

[2] CMS Chapter 25 — FL 7 — https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/guidance/manuals/downloads/clm104c25.pdf