Timely Filing Calculator
A claim filed one day late is worth zero, however clean it is. Enter the date of service, pick the payer type, and this calculator returns the filing deadline — including Medicare's statutory end-of-following-year rule.
Timely filing denials are the most final denials in billing: there is no correction that makes a late claim early. Every payer sets a filing window, and they differ wildly — Medicare's is set by law, Medicaid's by each state, and commercial windows live in your contract.
Calculate your filing deadline
How each deadline is set
- Medicare: by statute, claims must be filed by December 31 of the calendar year following the year of service. For services in October–December, the deadline is December 31 of the second following year. This calculator applies that rule exactly. The full picture, including secondary claims, is in our timely filing limits guide.
- Commercial payers: the window is whatever your contract says — commonly 90 to 180 days from the date of service. Enter your contract's number; do not rely on the default.
- Medicaid: each state sets its own window in its provider manual, and they vary widely. Enter your state's figure.
Two habits protect against this denial entirely: submit within days of service rather than batching monthly, and keep the clearinghouse acceptance report for every claim — it is your proof of timely filing if a payer later claims a claim arrived late, which is one of the most common claim rejection disputes. A filing denial received in error is worth an appeal with that proof attached.
Frequently asked questions
What is Medicare's timely filing deadline?
By law, Medicare claims must be filed by December 31 of the calendar year following the year in which the services were furnished. Services furnished in October through December are treated as though furnished in the following year, so their deadline is December 31 of the second following year.
Do timely filing deadlines apply to secondary claims too?
Yes — secondary and supplemental claims have their own windows, and many payers run the clock from the primary payer's remittance date rather than the date of service. When a claim crosses payers, file the secondary promptly after the primary pays and keep both remittance and acceptance records.
Can a timely filing denial ever be overturned?
Only with proof the claim was actually filed on time — typically the clearinghouse or payer acceptance report showing the original submission date. Without that evidence, late-filing denials are almost never reversed, which is why acceptance reports should be kept for every claim.