What is the timely filing limit for Medicare?

One calendar year after the date of service, under 42 CFR 424.44. If that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.

Does a rejected claim stop the timely filing clock?

No. A rejected claim was never accepted by the payer, so the filing clock keeps running until a corrected claim is accepted.

When does the clock start for a secondary claim?

For most payers the clock starts from the primary payer's EOB date rather than the date of service, so enter the EOB date in the calculator instead.

Do payers count calendar days or business days?

Every payer we checked counts calendar days, not business days.

Timely Filing Deadline Calculator (Free)

Work out the deadline

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Payer

Filing limit in days (from your contract)

Date of service (or discharge date)

Last day to fileEnter a date

Counts calendar days from the date of service. For a secondary claim, most payers start the clock from the primary payer’s EOB date, so enter that date instead.

The limits used above

Each figure comes from the payer’s own current document. Your provider agreement or your state’s law can make the limit longer or shorter, and when they differ, the contract or the law wins.

Payer	Initial claim
Medicare Part B	1 calendar year from the date of service (42 CFR 424.44)
Cigna	90 days participating, 180 days out of network
BCBS of Texas Blue Choice PPO	365 days
BCBS of Illinois commercial non-HMO	180 days
Humana Medicare Advantage	1 year
Texas Medicaid fee-for-service	95 days
New York Medicaid fee-for-service	90 days
California Medi-Cal	6 months following the month of service

UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Humana commercial do not publish one standard limit. Their manuals tell providers to check the Participation Agreement. UnitedHealthcare’s 2026 guide does say it allows participating providers at least 90 days, so 90 is the safe setting for UHC until you have checked your agreement. Use the “My contract limit” option above and enter the number from your own agreement.

See the full payer-by-payer list, with every source linked →

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Four things that catch people out

A rejected claim does not stop the clock. It was never accepted, so the days keep running while it sits in the rejection queue.
Secondary claims start later. Most payers count from the primary payer’s EOB date, not the date of service.
Calendar days, not business days. Every payer we checked counts calendar days.
CO-29 is a write-off. A timely filing denial is a contractual obligation, so the patient cannot be billed for it. Your only defence is the clearinghouse acceptance report showing the payer received the claim on time.

Timely filing deadline calculator example: Cigna in-network claim with a January 15, 2026 date of service is due April 15, 2026.

Free printable PDF: Timely filing limits by payer, 202620 payers on one page, to pin next to the billing desk.

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Payer guide: UnitedHealthcare timely filing limit (corrected claims, appeals) · Cigna timely filing limit (claims, appeals) · HealthSpring timely filing limit (corrected claims, appeals) · Aetna timely filing limit (out-of-network, disputes, states)
More free tools: Denial code lookup · Modifier 25 exposure calculator · Place of service codes

Limits were read from each payer’s own document in October 2026. Payers change these policies and contracts override them, so confirm before relying on any number here. General information, not legal or contractual advice.