Timely filing deadline calculator
By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 3 min read
| Medicare Part B | 12 months (1 calendar year) after the date of service |
|---|---|
| TRICARE | 1 year from the date of service |
| Cigna, in network | 90 days after the date of service, unless your agreement says otherwise |
| Cigna, out of network | 180 days after the date of service |
| Denial code when late | CARC 29 |
Timely filing is the one denial you can't fix after the fact. A claim that reaches the payer a day late is denied with CARC 29 no matter how clean it is, and your contract usually bars you from billing the patient for it. This calculator gives you the last day to file for any date and window, shows how much runway is left, and suggests a safer target date two weeks earlier.
How to use the calculator
- Choose what the clock counts from. For a first claim, the date of service. For a secondary claim, most payers count from the primary payer's EOB or remittance date. For a corrected claim or an appeal, the payer's own window usually runs from the denial or remittance date.
- Enter that date.
- Pick the window: a published payer window (Medicare, TRICARE, Cigna), a common contract window (90, 120, 180 or 365 days), or Custom for whatever your contract says, in days or months.
- Read the result: the last day, the days left, and a target date with a two-week buffer. Copy the line into your billing log if you track deadlines.
Dates are computed as plain calendar dates, so your time zone can't shift the deadline by a day. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Published windows
| Payer | Window | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Part B | 12 months (1 calendar year) after the date of service | 42 CFR 424.44 |
| TRICARE | 1 year from the date of service | TRICARE claims FAQ |
| Cigna, in network | 90 days (3 months) after the date of service, unless your agreement says otherwise | Cigna: When to file |
| Cigna, out of network | 180 days (6 months) after the date of service | Cigna: When to file |
| Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Blue plans, Humana | Set by your participation agreement and the plan | Provider manual and your contract |
| Medicaid and managed Medicaid | Varies by state and plan | State Medicaid provider manual |
Checked September 2026. Windows change and contracts override defaults, so confirm yours in the contract you signed at credentialing.
Corrected claims and appeals
The original filing window is not the only clock. Payers set separate windows for corrected claims and for appeals, usually counted from the remittance or denial date and written in the provider manual. Cigna, for example, counts coordination-of-benefits claims from the processing date on the primary payer's EOB. Meeting the original deadline doesn't protect a correction you send months later, so work every denial within days of the ERA. The appeal guide covers the letter and what to attach.
What to do if you are past it
- Look for proof you filed on time. A clearinghouse acceptance report or a payer acknowledgment (277CA) dated inside the window is the one thing that overturns a timely filing denial. Appeal with it attached.
- Check for a real exception. Medicare allows narrow exceptions in 424.44, such as its own administrative error. Commercial contracts sometimes have exceptions for retroactive eligibility or coordination of benefits.
- If neither applies, write it off. Don't bill the patient for a late-filing denial on an in-network claim.
- Fix the system. Most late claims were "submitted" but rejected, and the rejection sat unread. See claim rejection vs denial and our CO-29 guide.
How to never need this calculator
Submit within days of the visit, not weeks, and clear your clearinghouse rejection report every week. Early submission turns every later mistake from fatal into fixable. The timely filing limits guide explains the two habits that make this denial disappear.