Cigna gives participating providers 90 days and out-of-network providers 180 days from the date of service to file a claim. A longer period in your contract or under your state's law overrides that. Secondary claims are counted from the primary payer's EOB date, and appeals are due within 180 days of the payment or denial.
Corrected claims get no extra time. A corrected claim Cigna did not ask for must still arrive inside the same 90 or 180 days. For HealthSpring (the old Cigna Medicare Advantage plans) it is 180 days from the date of service. Details below.
- Cigna commercial claims: the address on the back of the patient's ID card (most cards: payer ID 62308).
- Cigna appeals: National Appeals, PO Box 188011, Chattanooga, TN 37422, fax 877-815-4827. "G" ID cards: PO Box 188062, Chattanooga, TN 37422-8062, fax 877-804-1679.
- HealthSpring claims: PO Box 23456, Chattanooga, TN 37421, payer ID 52192. Reconsiderations: PO Box 1004, Nashville, TN 37202.
Ninety days sounds like plenty until you count how a claim actually spends them. A week waiting for the provider to sign the note. A rejection at the clearinghouse that nobody works for ten days. A denial for a wrong member ID that comes back a month later. By the time the claim is clean, the window is half gone.
Cigna is one of the shorter commercial windows, which is why "Cigna timely filing" gets searched so much. Here is what Cigna's own provider policy says, the parts most summaries leave out, and a calculator for the date that matters to you.
The limits, in one table
| Situation | Deadline | Clock starts |
|---|---|---|
| New claim, participating provider | 90 days | Date of service |
| New claim, out-of-network provider | 180 days | Date of service |
| Consecutive days (for example an inpatient stay) | 90 or 180 days | Last date of service |
| Cigna is the secondary payer | 90 or 180 days | Processing date on the primary payer's EOB |
| Appeal of a payment or denial | 180 calendar days | Date of the payment or denial decision |
| Appeal of an adjusted payment | 180 calendar days | Date of the last payment adjustment |
| Arbitration or alternate dispute resolution | Generally 1 year | Date of the appeal denial letter |
Two things can make your number longer. If your provider agreement gives more time, the agreement wins. And if your state's law requires a longer filing period for the plan, Cigna follows the law. Pull your contract before you write off anything for timely filing.
Cigna's policy writes the participating limit as "three months [90 days]". Those are not always the same length. Plan your work around 90 calendar days, which is the shorter of the two in most months.
Cigna deadline calculator
Pick what you are filing, then enter the date that starts the clock.
When the clock starts, with examples
- Office visit on January 15, 2026, participating provider: 90 days runs to April 15, 2026.
- The same visit, out of network: 180 days runs to July 14, 2026.
- Inpatient stay from January 12 to January 20: count from the last day, January 20, so a participating claim is due by April 20.
What does not restart the clock: a clearinghouse rejection, a claim the payer never received, or a claim you sent to the wrong payer. Cigna counts from the date of service either way. A rejection that sits unworked for two weeks is two weeks gone.
Keep your clearinghouse acceptance report for every claim. If you ever have to argue that a claim went in on time, a report showing the payer accepted it on a specific date is the strongest evidence you can have.
Send us the list: payer, date of service, denial code and amount. No patient names needed. We will tell you which claims can still be fixed, which need an appeal, and which deadlines are close. Free, usually within 2 business days. Want the full picture? Get a free 90-day denial audit from your ERA files.
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Secondary claims: count from the primary EOB
When Cigna pays second, the filing limit is measured from the processing date on the primary payer's EOB, not the date of service. Cigna also expects the primary EOB with the claim.
Example: the primary payer processes the claim on March 2, 2026. A participating provider then has until May 31, 2026 to get the secondary claim to Cigna.
The trap is the claim where nobody knew Cigna was secondary. If the patient had other coverage you did not have on file, the primary claim goes out late and the Cigna claim follows it. Ask about other coverage at every visit, not just at registration.
Corrected claims and resubmissions
This is where most Cigna summaries get vague, because Cigna does not publish a separate window for corrected claims. What the policy does say is specific:
- If your original claim was on time and Cigna asked for more information, sending what they asked for keeps the claim timely.
- If you resubmit something Cigna did not ask for, and it is not an appeal, the resubmission is held to the normal filing limit.
In practice that means a corrected claim sent on day 60 is fine, and a corrected claim sent on day 120 for a participating provider can be denied as late even though the original went in on day 10. Once you are past the filing window, the safer route is usually an appeal with proof that the original claim was filed on time, rather than a fresh corrected claim.
How to send a corrected claim to Cigna
Send the whole claim again with every line, not only the line you fixed. Cigna treats it as a replacement of the original.
| How you file | Where the code goes | Original claim number |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic (837P or 837I) | Frequency code 7 in CLM05-3 (loop 2300) | REF*F8 in loop 2300 |
| Paper CMS-1500 | Box 22, resubmission code 7 | Box 22, original ref. no. |
| Paper UB-04 | Third digit of the type of bill (for example 0137) | Box 64, document control number |
To cancel a claim sent in error, use code 8 (void) instead of 7. Do not send a corrected claim as a brand-new claim with code 1. Cigna will deny it as a duplicate, and the time spent on that denial still counts against your 90 or 180 days.
Appeals after a timely filing denial
A late-filing denial usually shows up on the remittance as CO-29 ("the time limit for filing has expired"). Because it is a CO adjustment, it is the provider's loss. Cigna's policy is blunt about this: your contract prohibits balance billing the patient for claims denied as late.
You can appeal, and it is worth doing when you have proof. Cigna's process for commercial plans:
- File within 180 calendar days of the payment or denial decision, in writing.
- Include the original claim, the EOB or EOP, and your proof of timely filing. The clearinghouse acceptance report is the document that wins these appeals.
- Use Cigna's payment review form. California HMO plans use their own dispute form.
- Expect one internal level. Cigna says the review is completed in 60 days. If your agreement allows it, arbitration or another dispute process is the next step, generally within one year of the appeal denial letter.
Cigna also accepts evidence of extraordinary circumstances, such as a natural disaster, that kept you from filing on time. A busy month or a staff vacancy does not count.
Without proof, an appeal on a late claim almost never succeeds. That is why the habits below matter more than the appeal.
Cigna’s appeal mailing address and fax, and the separate HealthSpring boxes, are in our payer claim address directory.
Cigna Medicare Advantage is now HealthSpring
If you still have "Cigna Medicare" patients, check their cards. Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) bought Cigna's Medicare Advantage, supplemental benefits and Part D business in 2025, and for 2026 those plans became HealthSpring. Existing contracts stay in force and get renamed as they renew.
The rules are different from Cigna commercial, so do not apply the 90-day number to these patients. Our full HealthSpring timely filing guide has the addresses, the payer ID change and a HealthSpring deadline calculator.
| HealthSpring (2026 provider manuals) | Deadline |
|---|---|
| New claim, participating provider | 180 days from the date of service, unless your agreement says otherwise |
| New claim, out-of-network provider | 365 days from the date of service |
| Claim appeal | 65 days from the original decision |
| Payment reconsideration or dispute | 180 days from the claim payment date |
The 65-day appeal window catches people out, because it is barely a third of Cigna's commercial 180 days. HealthSpring's Availity payer space uses payer ID 52192.
Original Medicare is separate again: one calendar year from the date of service. Our timely filing limits by payer page covers Medicare and the other big plans.
HealthSpring corrected claims: what the 2026 manuals say
A lot of billers searching for a "HealthSpring corrected claim timely filing limit" are hoping for a separate, longer window for corrections. Neither 2026 HealthSpring manual gives one. Here is what they do say, and what it means for a corrected claim:
- Participating providers agree to submit all claims within the time frames in their provider agreement, and the manual sets 180 days from the date of service. A corrected claim is still a claim, so plan on that window.
- Out-of-network providers have 365 days from the date of service, which the non-participating manual ties to Medicare standards. Claims received after that are denied for timely filing.
- A payment dispute is not a corrected claim. If the claim was paid and you think the amount is wrong, a participating provider has up to 180 days from the claim payment date to request a reconsideration.
- Appeals do not buy you time. The participating manual says it plainly: timely filing requirements are not affected or changed by the appeal process or its outcome. An appeal is due within 65 days of the original decision.
So the practical rule: send the corrected claim as a replacement (frequency code 7) of the original, with the original claim number, while you are still inside 180 days of the date of service. If you are past that, a fresh corrected claim will likely come back as late. Use the reconsideration or appeal route instead, with proof the original claim was accepted on time.
Example: a HealthSpring visit on March 10, 2026, billed on March 14 and paid wrong on April 20. The corrected claim should go in before September 6, 2026, which is 180 days from the date of service. A reconsideration of the April 20 payment is due by October 17, 2026.
How to stay inside 90 days
- Set your own target at 30 days. If every Cigna claim goes out within a week of the visit, you have about 80 days left for fixing rejections and denials.
- Work clearinghouse rejections daily. They are invisible to the payer and they still use up the window.
- Run an aging report filtered to Cigna, unbilled and unpaid, every Monday. Anything over 45 days old gets looked at that day.
- Verify eligibility at every visit, including other coverage. Coordination of benefits problems are the most common reason secondary claims go late.
- Save the acceptance report with the claim. You will only need it a few times a year, and each time it is the difference between getting paid and writing it off.
If a Cigna claim does get denied, our denial code lookup explains the code and the fix, and our CO-16 guide covers the most common billing-error denial.
Questions
How do I submit a corrected claim to Cigna?
Resubmit the full claim with frequency code 7 and the original Cigna claim number. Electronically, the code goes in CLM05-3 and the claim number in REF*F8. On a CMS-1500, both go in box 22. Use code 8 to void a claim instead.
What is Cigna's timely filing limit?
90 days from the date of service for participating providers and 180 days for out-of-network providers, unless your provider agreement or state law allows longer. For consecutive days of service, such as a hospital stay, the clock starts on the last date of service.
What is Cigna's TFL?
TFL is short for timely filing limit. Cigna's TFL is 90 days from the date of service for participating providers and 180 days for out-of-network providers. Corrected claims use the same TFL, not a new one. HealthSpring, which took over Cigna's Medicare Advantage plans, uses 180 days.
What is Cigna's timely filing limit for secondary claims?
When Cigna is secondary, the filing limit is measured from the processing date on the primary payer's EOB, not from the date of service. Send the primary EOB with the claim.
What is Cigna's timely filing limit for corrected claims?
Cigna does not publish a separate corrected-claim window. Its policy says a resubmission Cigna did not ask for, and that is not an appeal, is subject to the normal filing limit. A resubmission Cigna requested on a claim that was originally on time stays timely. If you are past 90 days, use the appeal process instead.
How long do I have to appeal a Cigna claim?
180 calendar days from the date of the initial payment or denial decision, or from the last payment adjustment if Cigna adjusted the claim. Cigna has a single internal appeal level and says the review is completed in 60 days.
Can I bill the patient if Cigna denies a claim for timely filing?
No. Cigna's policy states that the provider contract prohibits balance billing the patient for claims denied for late filing.
What is the timely filing limit for Cigna Medicare Advantage?
Cigna sold its Medicare Advantage business to Health Care Service Corporation, and those plans became HealthSpring for 2026. The 2026 HealthSpring participating provider manual allows 180 days from the date of service, unless your agreement says otherwise. Appeals are due within 65 days of the decision, and payment reconsiderations within 180 days of the payment date.
What is HealthSpring's timely filing limit for corrected claims?
HealthSpring's 2026 manuals do not set a separate window for corrected claims. Participating providers should send corrections within the claim filing limit, 180 days from the date of service unless the agreement says otherwise. A payment reconsideration is due within 180 days of the claim payment date, and appeals do not extend timely filing.
What is HealthSpring's timely filing limit for out-of-network providers?
365 days from the date of service, according to HealthSpring's 2026 manual for non-participating providers. Claims received after that are denied for timely filing.
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- HealthSpring timely filing limit for 2026: claims, corrected claims and appeals
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Free tools
- Payer claim addresses and fax numbers
- Free 835 ERA reader
- Denial code lookup
- Timely filing calculator
- Credentialing timeline calculator
Sources, read October 9 and 12, 2026, addresses rechecked October 25, 2026: HealthSpring 2026 Out-of-Network Provider Manual (Medicare Advantage), Timely Filing; Cigna for Health Care Professionals, "When to File" timely filing policy and "Claims Submission, Payments, and Filing"; Cigna, "Appeal Policy and Procedures for Health Care Professionals"; HealthSpring 2026 Participating Provider Manual (Claims Submission and Timely Filing; Provider Claims Dispute Process); HealthSpring provider notice of November 21, 2025. Your provider agreement and state law can change these limits, so confirm against your own contract. General information, not legal or contractual advice.