Timely Filing Limits by Payer and State (2026)
Cigna timely filing limits are in the payer table below, next to UnitedHealthcare, BCBS, Aetna and Medicare. Medicare, TRICARE, VA, major commercial payers, all 50 state Medicaid programs plus DC, and workers’ compensation. Every row links to the payer or state manual it came from, and a calculator turns any date of service into a filing deadline. Updated September 2026.
In short: Medicare gives you one calendar year from the date of service. Commercial payers range from 60 days (Magellan) to 365 days, with 90 and 180 days the most common in-network limits. State Medicaid fee-for-service limits run from 90 days (Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York) to 15 months (New Hampshire), and Medicaid managed care plans usually set their own, shorter windows.
Miss the window and the claim denies as CO-29, which is a write-off in most contracts. Use the calculator to turn a date of service into a deadline, the tables to check the limit before you file, and the search box to jump to your state.
The claim clock: where a late claim ends up
BilNow puts a named person behind every claim and tracks every filing deadline. Our clients run 98% first-pass acceptance and denials under 5%. 2.7% of collections, no setup fee, no long-term contract.
Timely filing calculator
Enter the date of service and pick the payer. The calculator adds the payer’s published limit and shows the last day the claim can be received. Contract limits vary, so use “Custom” with the number of days in your agreement when you have it.
Deadlines are counted in calendar days from the date of service. Payers measure the date they receive the claim, not the date you send it, so allow clearinghouse time.
How timely filing limits work
A timely filing limit is the number of days a payer gives you to get a claim into its system. The clock almost always starts on the date of service; for inpatient and other institutional claims it usually starts on the discharge date or the claim’s “through” date, and a handful of state Medicaid programs count from the end of the month of service. The limit is met on the date the payer receives the claim, not the date you send it, which is why clearinghouse acceptance reports matter.
Three things trip practices up. First, corrected claims rarely get a fresh window: most payers want the correction (frequency code 7) inside the original limit or within a fixed period after the first claim finalises. Second, secondary claims often have their own, shorter limit that runs from the primary payer’s remittance date. Third, appeal deadlines are separate from filing deadlines and are usually shorter, so a claim that denies late in its window leaves very little time to respond. Independent offices can see how our private practice billing services track payer deadlines, and equipment suppliers can see how DME claims billing handles payer-specific rules.
When a claim is denied for late filing, the remittance carries claim adjustment reason code CO-29 (“the time limit for filing has expired”). Under Medicare rules and nearly all participating-provider contracts, that balance cannot be billed to the patient. You can look up CO-29 and related codes in our denial code lookup. For the wider picture, see our medical billing and claim denial statistics.
Medicare and federal program timely filing limits
| Payer | Filing limit | Counted from | Appeal or reconsideration | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare Part A/B (fee-for-service) | 1 calendar year | Date of service (institutional claims: the 'through' date) | Redetermination within 120 days of the initial determination. Timely-filing denials themselves cannot be appealed. | Extension only when Medicare or the MAC caused the delay. | med.noridianmedicare.com |
| Medicare Advantage (all plans) | Set by each plan's contract, commonly 90 days to 1 year | Date of service | Per contract; non-contracted providers: 65 days from the denial notice | Federal rules set payment timing, not a filing deadline. | law.cornell.edu |
| Humana Medicare Advantage | 1 year | Date of service | Provider claim dispute within 18 months of the claim notice | Your agreement or state law may shorten this. | assets.humana.com |
| TRICARE East and West | 1 year | Date of service (inpatient: discharge date) | Reconsideration within 90 days of the initial determination | Same rule in both regions. | grandforks.af.mil |
| VA Community Care (CCN) | 180 days | Date care was provided | Supplemental claim or higher-level review within 1 year of the decision | Confirm the current rule with VA before you rely on it. | va.gov |
| CHAMPVA | 1 year | Date care received (inpatient: discharge date) | Reply to information requests within 1 year of the letter date | va.gov | |
| Railroad Medicare (Palmetto GBA) | 1 calendar year | Date of service | Same as Medicare: 120 days | Follows the Medicare fee-for-service rule. | med.noridianmedicare.com |
Medicare will only extend the one-year limit when the delay was caused by Medicare or its contractor, by retroactive Medicare entitlement, or by a Medicare Advantage or PACE disenrollment applied retroactively.
Commercial payer timely filing limits
Most national payers set the limit in your participation agreement rather than in a public policy, so treat the figures below as the default or published limit and confirm the number in your own contract. Out-of-network limits are typically longer than in-network limits.
| Payer | Initial claim limit | Corrected claims | Appeal deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | Set by your Participation Agreement (UHC's own example: 90 days) | Same window as the original claim; frequency code 7 | See agreement | uhcprovider.com |
| Aetna | Set by contract (no single national figure) | See contract | 180 days standard; longer in some states (1 year AZ, CO, MD; 2 years GA, IN, KY, NC, OH, OK; 4 years TX; 90 days NJ) | aetna.com |
| Cigna | 90 days in-network; 180 days out-of-network | See manual | 180 calendar days from the payment or denial notice | static.cigna.com |
| Humana (commercial) | Set by contract (Medicare lines: 1 year) | See manual | Claim disputes within 18 months of the claim notice | assets.humana.com |
| Anthem / Elevance (New York commercial) | 120 days | See plan | See plan | providernews.anthem.com |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (PPO) | 365 days | Within the filing deadline | Claim review within 180 days of the EOP | eauth.bcbstx.com |
| Florida Blue | 180 days | After the original claim finalises | See manual | files.guidewell.com |
| Blue Shield of California | 180 days, or the contract period if longer | See manual | 365 days from the determination | blueshieldca.com |
| Highmark (DE, PA, WV, NY) | 365 days from the last date of service (PA CHIP: 180 days) | 15 months from the original claim's finalisation | See manual | providers.highmark.com |
| Kaiser Permanente (Washington) | 12 months | Adjustments within 24 months of processing | See manual | wa-provider.kaiserpermanente.org |
| EmblemHealth (NY) | 120 days in-network; out-of-network: 18 months commercial, 15 months Medicaid, 365 days Medicare | 120 days from the date of service | Payment appeals within 45 days of the adverse determination | emblemhealth.com |
| UPMC Health Plan | 365 days commercial and Medicare; 180 days Medical Assistance | Greater of 90 days from the EOP or 365 days from the date of service | As stated on the EOP | upmchealthplan.com |
| Priority Health | 12 months | Resubmit within 45 days if the claim is not on file | See manual | priorityhealth.com |
| Wellpoint Medicare Advantage (AZ, IA, NJ, SC, TN, TX, WA, WV) | 90 days in-network; 12 months out-of-network | See policy | See policy | provider.wellpoint.com |
| Ambetter (Centene) | Varies by state: 180 days Missouri; 90 days Tennessee | See state guide | See state guide | ambetterhealth.com |
| Optum Behavioral Health | 90 calendar days | Corrections within 90 days of the original claim's receipt | See Provider Express | providerexpress.com |
| Magellan Health | 60 days (some state and plan exceptions) | See handbook | See handbook | magellanprovider.com |
| Carelon Behavioral Health (PA Medicaid) | 90 days from discharge or date of service | See contract | See contract | providers.pa.carelon.com |
Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are licensed independently, so limits differ by state; the rows above show the plans whose manuals publish a figure. Aetna’s appeal deadline varies by state law, as listed in its row.
Timely filing limits by payer: Medicare, Aetna, Cigna, UHC, BCBS, Humana and Medicaid
Medicare timely filing limit
Medicare Part A and Part B fee-for-service claims must reach the MAC within one calendar year of the date of service (institutional claims count from the claim’s “through” date). There is no grace period; the only extensions are for errors by Medicare or its contractor, retroactive Medicare entitlement, and retroactive Medicare Advantage disenrollment. A late claim is denied and cannot be billed to the beneficiary. Redeterminations must be requested within 120 days of the initial determination, but a timely filing denial itself is not appealable. Medicare Advantage plans set their own limits in each provider contract, commonly 90 days to one year.
Aetna timely filing limit
Aetna does not publish one national filing limit; the deadline is set in each provider agreement, so check your contract before relying on a figure quoted elsewhere. What Aetna does publish is the appeal window: 180 days from the initial decision as the standard, with state-law exceptions (1 year in Arizona, Colorado and Maryland; 2 years in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Oklahoma; 4 years in Texas; 90 days in New Jersey).
Cigna timely filing limit
Cigna allows 90 days from the date of service for in-network claims and 180 days for out-of-network claims, unless your agreement says otherwise. Appeals of a payment or denial decision must be filed within 180 calendar days of the notice.
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) timely filing limit
UnitedHealthcare sets the filing limit in your Participation Agreement; its own guidance uses 90 days from the date of service as the example, and many agreements use that figure. Corrected claims (frequency code 7) must arrive inside the same window as the original claim. Out-of-network limits are typically longer; UHC-administered Medicare Advantage plans commonly use 12 months for non-contracted providers.
Blue Cross Blue Shield timely filing limits
Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are licensed separately in each state, so the limit depends on the plan, not the brand: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas gives 365 days, Florida Blue 180 days, Blue Shield of California 180 days (or the contract period if longer) and Highmark 365 days from the last date of service. For a plan not listed here, the provider manual for that state is the source; the commercial table above links the ones that publish a figure.
Humana timely filing limit
Humana Medicare Advantage claims must be filed within one year of the date of service. Commercial limits are set by contract. Provider claim disputes on either line must be raised within 18 months of the claim notice, and your agreement or state law may shorten that.
Medicaid timely filing limits
Fee-for-service Medicaid limits run from 90 days (Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York) to 15 months (New Hampshire), with 12 months or 365 days the most common; Texas allows 95 days and California six months after the month of service. Managed care plans set their own limits in their provider contracts, usually shorter than the state’s. Use the state table above, and confirm with the plan for the eight states flagged “confirm with payer”.
State Medicaid timely filing limits (all 50 states and DC)
The limits below apply to fee-for-service Medicaid claims. Where a state runs Medicaid through managed care organisations (most do), each plan sets its own limit in its provider contract, and those are usually shorter than the state’s fee-for-service window. Rows marked confirm with payer are ones where the published manual was ambiguous or has changed recently.
| State | Program | Fee-for-service limit | Counted from | Managed care | Resubmission / appeal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | Alabama Medicaid | 1 year | Date of service | Limited managed care | Retro eligibility: 1 year from the award date; Medicare or third-party delay and recouped claims: 120 days | medicaid.alabama.gov |
| Alaska (AK) | Alaska Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Fee-for-service only | Eligibility exception: 12 months from the eligibility notice | regulations.justia.com |
| Arizona (AZ) | AHCCCS | 6 months | Date of service (inpatient: discharge) or eligibility posting, whichever is later | Plans set their own | Reach clean-claim status within 12 months of the date of service | azahcccs.gov |
| Arkansas (AR) | Arkansas Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | PASSE plans set their own | Adjustments within 12 months of the date of service; pending eligibility: bill with pseudo ID and resubmit within 12 months of approval | law.cornell.edu |
| California (CA) | Medi-Cal | 6 months after the month of service | End of the month of service | Plans set their own | Over 1 year only with a delay reason code | mcweb.apps.prd.cammis.medi-cal.ca.gov |
| Colorado (CO) | Health First Colorado | 365 days | Date of service | RAEs and plans set their own | After 365 days: within 60 days of the last action | hcpf.colorado.gov |
| Connecticut (CT) | HUSKY Health | 12 months | Date of service | Administrative services only | Retroactive eligibility: 1 year from the effective date | eregulations.ct.gov |
| Delaware (DE) | DMAP | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Up to 24 months with proof of timely submission | dhss.delaware.gov |
| District of Columbia (DC) | DC Medicaid | 365 days | Date of service | Plans set their own | See DHCF | dhcf.dc.gov |
| Florida (FL) | Florida Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Exceptions via AHCA exceptional claims request | ahca.myflorida.com |
| Georgia (GA) | Georgia Medicaid | 6 months | Month of service | CMOs set their own | Secondary claims 12 months; resubmit denials within 90 days | mmis.georgia.gov |
| Hawaii (HI) | Med-QUEST | 12 months | Date of service | QUEST plans set their own | Primary payer cases: greater of 6 months from the EOB or 12 months | medquest.hawaii.gov |
| Idaho (ID) | Idaho Medicaid | 365 days | Date of service | Plans set their own | Duals: 12 months or 6 months from the Medicare EOB | idmedicaid.com |
| Illinois (IL) | HFS Medical Programs | 180 days | Date of service | Plans set their own | Replacement claims within 12 months of the paid voucher; Medicare crossover 24 months; other-payer claims 180 days from primary adjudication | hfs.illinois.gov |
| Indiana (IN) | IHCP | 180 days | Date of service or discharge | UnitedHealthcare Indiana: 90 days | Administrative review within 60 days of the notice (notice date is 3 days after mailing) | secure.in.gov |
| Iowa (IA) | Iowa Medicaid | 365 days | Date of service | Plans set their own | Resubmit within 365 days of the last adjudication; no payment after 2 years; retro eligibility: 1 year from the first eligibility notice | hhs.iowa.gov |
| Kansas (KS) | KanCare | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Resubmit up to 24 months from the date of service; nothing processed after 24 months | portal-uatc.kmap-state-ks.us |
| Kentucky (KY) | Kentucky Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Aged claims need proof of timely receipt | chfs.ky.gov |
| Louisiana (LA) | Louisiana Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Healthy Louisiana plans set their own | Proof of timely filing required; 2-year outer limit | lamedicaid.com |
| Maine (ME) | MaineCare | 1 year | Date of service | Fee-for-service | Other insurance: 1 year from the carrier EOB; late eligibility: 1 year from the eligibility grant | law.cornell.edu |
| Maryland (MD) | Maryland Medical Assistance | 12 months | Date of service | HealthChoice plans set their own | Provider-error denials: 60 days from the last rejection; Medicare crossover 120 days from the EOMB; retro eligibility 12 months from the decision | health.maryland.gov |
| Massachusetts (MA) | MassHealth | 90 days | Date of service | Plans and ACOs set their own | Denied claims resubmittable up to 12 months from the date of service (18 months with other insurance); nothing paid for services more than 12 months old | law.cornell.edu |
| Michigan (MI) | Michigan Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Health plans set their own | Replacement claim within 12 months of the latest remittance advice; over 1 year only with a documented exception | michigan.gov |
| Minnesota (MN) | MHCP | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Adjustments within 6 months of the payment date; Medicare-first and erroneously rejected claims: 6 months | law.cornell.edu |
| Mississippi (MS) | Mississippi Medicaid | 365 days (180 days from notice of the Medicare disposition) | Date of service | Molina: 180 days | Adjustments within 365 days of the original submission | law.cornell.edu |
| Missouri (MO) | MO HealthNet | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Medicare-first claims: 12 months from the date of service or 6 months from the Medicare notice, whichever is later | law.cornell.edu |
| Montana (MT) | Montana Medicaid | 12 months | Latest of service, eligibility or disability determination | Mostly fee-for-service | Alternatives: 6 months from the Medicare EOB, or 6 months from a third-party adjustment notice | law.cornell.edu |
| Nebraska (NE) | Heritage Health | 6 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Nothing paid after 2 years | regulations.justia.com |
| Nevada (NV) | Nevada Medicaid | 180 days (365 days with other insurance or out of state)confirm with payer | Date of service or eligibility decision | Plans set their own | Appeal within 30 days of the denial | medicaid.nv.gov |
| New Hampshire (NH) | NH Medicaid | 15 monthsconfirm with payer | Earliest date of service on the claim | Plans set their own | See billing SOP | dhhs.nh.gov |
| New Jersey (NJ) | NJ FamilyCare | 1 year for fee-for-service claims (N.J.A.C. 10:49-7.2) | Date of service | NJ FamilyCare managed care plans: 180 days; corrected claims 365 days; secondary claims 60 days from the EOB | See NJ FamilyCare provider guide | law.cornell.edu |
| New Mexico (NM) | Turquoise Care | 90 days | Date of service (other-payer claims: other payer's pay or deny date) | Plans set their own | One-time 90-day grace to resubmit after a return or denial; other-payer claims capped at 210 days from the date of service; retro eligibility 90 days from the eligibility date | law.cornell.edu |
| New York (NY) | NY Medicaid (eMedNY) | 90 days | Date of service | Plans set their own (EmblemHealth 120 days) | Correct denials within 60 days of the notice; 2-year outer limit | emedny.org |
| North Carolina (NC) | NC Medicaid | 365 days | First date of service (inpatient: last) | Plans: 365 days for service on or after 1 Jul 2023 | See NC Medicaid | medicaid.ncdhhs.gov |
| North Dakota (ND) | North Dakota Medicaid | 180 daysconfirm with payer | Date of service | Fee-for-service | Replacement or void within 365 days of the date of service | hhs.nd.gov |
| Ohio (OH) | Ohio Medicaid | 365 days | Date of service | Plans set their own | Resubmit denials within 365 days of the date of service; delayed eligibility: 180 days from notice | codes.ohio.gov |
| Oklahoma (OK) | SoonerCare | 6 months | Date of service | Contractors set their own | Medicare cost-sharing claims: 90 days after the Medicare disposition; a denied claim serves as proof of timely filing | oklahoma.gov |
| Oregon (OR) | Oregon Health Plan | 12 months | Date of service | CCOs set their own | Denied claims may be resubmitted within 18 months of the date of service, with proof of the original timely submission | oregon.public.law |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | Medical Assistance (PROMISe) | 180 days | Date of service | HealthChoices plans set their own | Rejected claims and adjustments within 365 days | law.cornell.edu |
| Rhode Island (RI) | RI Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Over 1 year: within 90 days of the other payer's process date | eohhs.ri.gov |
| South Carolina (SC) | Healthy Connections | 1 year | Date of service (hospital: discharge) | Plans set their own | Medicare cost-sharing: 2 years or 6 months after Medicare pays | scdhhs.gov |
| South Dakota (SD) | South Dakota Medicaid | 6 months after the month of service | End of the month of service | Fee-for-service | Adjustments and denials within 3 months | dss.sd.gov |
| Tennessee (TN) | TennCare | 1 year | From date of service | Plan claims: 120 days | Follow-up or resubmission of an initial claim within 6 months; exceptions for retroactive eligibility | law.cornell.edu |
| Texas (TX) | Texas Medicaid (TMHP) | 95 days | Date of service | Plans set their own (see TMPPM) | Appeals within 120 days of the R&S disposition | tmhp.com |
| Utah (UT) | Utah Medicaid | See provider manual, section Iconfirm with payer | Date of service | ACOs set their own | See provider manual | medicaid-documents.dhhs.utah.gov |
| Vermont (VT) | Vermont Medicaid | 180 days | First date of service (inpatient: discharge) | Fee-for-service | Corrected claims within 6 months of the denial | humanservices.vermont.gov |
| Virginia (VA) | Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) | 12 months | Date of service | Anthem HealthKeepers: 365 days | Denied claims resolved within 13 months of the denial | vamedicaid.dmas.virginia.gov |
| Washington (WA) | Apple Health | 365 days | Date of service | Plans set their own | Resubmit or adjust within 24 months of the date of service (15 months for drugs)confirm with payer | hca.wa.gov |
| West Virginia (WV) | WV Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service | Plans set their own | Replacement claims up to 24 months | bms.wv.gov |
| Wisconsin (WI) | ForwardHealth | 365 days | Date of service | HMOs set their own | Crossovers: 365 days or 90 days from Medicare, whichever is later; late claims via Timely Filing Appeal (form F-13047) | forwardhealth.wi.gov |
| Wyoming (WY) | Wyoming Medicaid | 12 months | Date of service or discharge | Fee-for-service | Crossovers: 6 months from the Medicare processing date | health.wyo.gov |
Most states allow a longer window when eligibility was granted retroactively or when Medicaid is secondary to Medicare or another payer; the resubmission column notes the ones that publish a figure.
Workers’ compensation and no-fault timely filing limits
Workers’ compensation and auto no-fault bills follow state statute rather than payer policy, and the limits are often much shorter than commercial limits.
| Program | Filing limit | Payment / dispute rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York workers' compensation | 120 days from the last day of the month of service (90 days after final treatment) | Insurer must pay or object within 45 days | goldbergsegalla.com |
| California workers' compensation | 12 months from the date of service or inpatient discharge (Labor Code 4603.2) | Second review request per DWC rules | blog.daisybill.com |
| Texas workers' compensation | 95 days from the date of service | Reconsideration within 10 months of the date of service | agate.tdi.texas.gov |
| New York auto no-fault | 45 days from the date of service | Insurer must pay or deny within 30 days of the bill | dfs.ny.gov |
How to avoid timely filing denials
- Load every payer’s limit into your practice management system. Set the limit per payer and per line of business, then run a weekly report of unbilled or rejected claims that are within 30 days of the deadline.
- Work clearinghouse rejections daily. A claim the clearinghouse rejects never reached the payer, so it does not count. Rejections older than a few days are the most common source of CO-29 denials.
- Keep acceptance reports for every claim. Save the 999 and 277CA reports and payer portal confirmations. They are the only proof most payers accept in a timely filing appeal.
- File corrected claims inside the original window. Fix coding and demographic errors as soon as the denial posts; do not wait for the next billing cycle.
- Track secondary claims from the primary remittance date. Set a separate, shorter follow-up date for crossover and secondary claims.
- Verify eligibility before the visit. A claim sent to the wrong payer and re-routed after the deadline is still late. Eligibility checks at scheduling remove most of these.
- Start from a complete superbill. A superbill is the document the claim is built from, so gaps in it become gaps in the claim. Our free superbill template checks the fields a payer needs before charge entry.
What to do after a CO-29 denial
- Check the payer’s receipt date against your acceptance report. If the payer received the claim in time, appeal with the report attached. A ready-made letter is in our appeal letter templates.
- If the claim was filed late because of retroactive eligibility, a payer error, or a coordination-of-benefits decision, appeal under the payer’s exception rule with the supporting letter or eligibility record.
- If the claim is simply late and no exception applies, write it off to timely filing. Do not bill the patient unless your contract and state law expressly allow it.
- Log the root cause. Repeated CO-29 denials from one payer usually point to a rejection queue that is not being worked or a limit that is set wrong in your system.
Timely filing FAQ
What is a timely filing limit?
It is the maximum time a payer allows between the date of service and the date it receives a claim. Miss it and the claim is denied with CARC CO-29, and in most cases the balance cannot be billed to the patient.
What is the timely filing limit for Medicare?
One calendar year from the date of service for Medicare Part A and Part B fee-for-service claims. Medicare Advantage plans set their own limits in each provider contract, commonly 90 days to one year.
Which commercial payer has the shortest timely filing limit?
Among the payers on this page, Magellan Health at 60 days and several in-network limits at 90 days (Cigna, Optum Behavioral Health, Wellpoint Medicare Advantage and many UnitedHealthcare agreements) are the shortest. Your own contract governs, so check it before relying on a national figure.
Does the timely filing clock start on the date of service or the date of discharge?
For most professional claims it starts on the date of service. Institutional and inpatient claims usually count from the discharge date or the claim's 'through' date. A few state Medicaid programs count from the end of the month of service.
Can I bill the patient when a claim is denied for timely filing?
Usually no. Medicare and most participating-provider contracts treat a timely filing denial as a provider write-off, and many state laws and Medicaid rules prohibit billing the patient for it.
What counts as proof of timely filing?
A clearinghouse acceptance report (999 or 277CA) showing the payer received the claim within the window, a payer portal submission record, a certified mail receipt for paper claims, or a payer's own acknowledgement letter. A print-out from your practice management system alone is usually not accepted.
Do corrected claims get a new timely filing window?
Rarely. Most payers require corrected claims (frequency code 7) inside the original window or within a fixed period after the original claim finalises, so file the correction as soon as the error is found.
How do I appeal a CO-29 denial?
Submit a reconsideration with proof that the payer received the original claim on time, or documentation that the delay was caused by the payer, retroactive eligibility, or a coordination-of-benefits decision. Appeal deadlines are separate from filing deadlines and are listed in the tables above.
What is Aetna's timely filing limit?
Aetna sets the filing limit in each provider agreement rather than publishing one national figure, so check your contract. Its published appeal window is 180 days from the decision, longer in some states (for example 4 years in Texas) and 90 days in New Jersey.
What is Cigna's timely filing limit?
90 days from the date of service for in-network claims and 180 days for out-of-network claims, unless your agreement states otherwise. Appeals are due within 180 calendar days of the payment or denial notice.
What is UnitedHealthcare's timely filing limit?
It is set in your Participation Agreement; UnitedHealthcare's own guidance uses 90 days from the date of service as the example. Corrected claims must arrive inside the same window as the original.
What is the BCBS timely filing limit?
It depends on the state plan: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas allows 365 days, Florida Blue 180 days, Blue Shield of California 180 days and Highmark 365 days. Check the provider manual of the specific plan.
Is there a timely filing calculator?
Yes. The calculator on this page takes a date of service and a payer (or a custom number of days) and returns the filing deadline and the days remaining.
What are the Cigna timely filing limits?
Cigna timely filing limits depend on network status, plan and state. The figure for your contract is in the payer table above, and corrected claims and appeals have their own deadlines.
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Get a free billing assessmentCompiled by the BilNow Editorial Team from the payer and state manuals linked in each row. Limits change with contract renewals and state rule updates; always confirm against your current contract. Updated September 2026.