Denial Code CO29 in USA healthcare means “Timely Filing Limit Has Been Expired” or in short “TFL Expired”. Timely filing denial is also a common denial in medical billing and coding. If any policy holder got medical services or treatment, he/she should file the claim to insurance company within a specific time limit which counted from Date of service (DOS).
Denial Code CO-29 is an ANSI code for Timely filing has been expired. TFL limit is set by insurance companies, healthcare provider must submit the claim before TFL for reimbursement.
Example- Medicare TFL limit 12 months from DOS.
How to Handle TFL denial in Medical Billing?
CO-29 or Timely Filing denial also a common denial in medical billing process. When get the TFL denial need to follow the steps mentioned as below,
Step 1-
- Need to check the system when claim was billed and received by insurance company. This information can be checked on insurance website or sometimes need to call and confirm.
- Also check the timely filing limit of particular insurance company, and make sure claim was filed on time.
- If claim was billed or filed on time then need to call insurance company and request for reprocess the claim because claim filed on time and wrongly denied.
- Sometimes insurance company needs the timely filing proof with appeal letter, so need to confirm the mailing address, Fax number and appeal limit for reprocess the claim.
Step 2-
In some cases claim was filed timely but not received by insurance late so got CO-29 denial. Also wrongly denied by insurance so
In this cases need to send appeal with proof of timely filing. Some insurance companies need appeal on their pre-decided format. An appeal format we attached below,
Timely Filing Limit for Insurance Claims
In RCM process every insurance has timely filing limit from the time when service has been performed, it is counted from Date of Service (DOS). We have mentioned list of Insurances and their respective TFL as below,
| Insurance Name | Claim Filing Limit |
| Aetna | 120 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Aetna Better Health | 180 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Aetna Better Health Kids | 180 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Ambetter | 180 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Anthem | 90–120 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| AvMed | 1 Year Date of Service (DOS) |
| Beacon Health | 90 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Texas | 95 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Illinois | 180 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Michigan | 365 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Florida | 120 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Buckeye | 1 Year Date of Service (DOS) |
| Caresource | 90 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Cenpatico | 90 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| ChampVA | 1 Year Date of Service (DOS) |
| Champus | 1 Year Date of Service (DOS) |
| Cigna | 90 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Cigna (OON) | 180 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| EmblemHealth | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Fidelis New York | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Florida Medicaid | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| GA Medicaid | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| GEHA | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Harvard Pilgrim | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Humana | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Kaiser Permanente | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Magellan | 60 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| McLaren Health Plan | 1 Year |
| Medical Mutual | 1 Year |
| Medicaid (General) | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) (Varies) |
| Medi-Cal (California) | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Medicare | 1 Year |
| Meridian | 1 Year |
| NY Medicaid | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| TRICARE | 1 Year |
| UnitedHealthcare | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Florida / Florida Blue | 1 Year |
| BCBS North Carolina | 18 Months |
| BCBS Rhode Island | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Michigan | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) (365 for Complete Plans) |
| BCBS Illinois | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue Cross of California | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Alaska | 1 Year |
| BCBS Arizona | 1 Year |
| Highmark BCBS Delaware | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Mississippi | 1 Year |
| BCBS Pennsylvania / West Virginia | 1 Year |
| CareFirst (Washington DC) | 1 Year |
| BCBS Hawaii | 1 Year |
| BCBS Louisiana | 15 Months |
| Anthem BCBS (OH, KY, IN, WI) | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Wellmark BCBS (Iowa, South Dakota) | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Alabama | 2 Years |
| BCBS Arkansas | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Idaho | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Kansas | 12 Months |
| Blue Cross MA (HMO, PPO, MA Plans) | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue Cross MA (Indemnity) | 1 Year |
| BCBS Minnesota | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Montana | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Horizon BCBS New Jersey | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS New Mexico | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS New York | 1 Year |
| BCBS Northeastern New York | 1 Year |
| BCBS Oklahoma | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Nebraska | Plan-specific |
| Independence Blue Cross | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Tennessee | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Texas | 95 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Vermont | 180 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Wyoming | 60 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| Anthem California | 90 Days Date of Service (DOS) |
| AARP | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| ABC IPA | 90 days from the date of service |
| Accountable Health | 90 days from the date of service |
| ADOC IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Advantage Care | 6 Month |
| Advantage Freedom | 2 Years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Aetna (HMO) | 120 days from the date of service |
| Aetna timely filing | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Alliiance IPA | 1 year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| AMA | 2 Years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Ameri health ADM Local 360 | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| American Life and Health | 12 Month |
| American Progressive | 1 Year |
| Amerigroup | 90 Days for Participating Providers/12 Months for Non-par Providers |
| Amerihealth ADM TPA | 1 Year |
| AmeriHealth NJ & DE | 60 Days |
| Angeles IPA | 90 days from the date of service |
| Anthem Health(Coast wise Claims) | 3 Years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Applecare IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Arbazo | 180 Days |
| Asian Community IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) for contracted and 180 days for non-contracted |
| B/C HMO | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| B/C Medi-cal | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Bankers Life | 15 Month form DOS |
| BCBS COVERKIDS | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS Florida timely filing | 12 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| BCBS timely filing for Commercial/Federal | 180 Days from Initial Claims or if secondary 60 Days from Primary EOB |
| BeechStreet | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Benefit Concepts | 12 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Benefit Trust Fund | 1 year from Medicare EOB |
| Blue Advantage HMO | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue Cross PPO | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue Essential | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue Premier | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue shield High Mark | 60 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Blue Shield timely filing | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Bridgestone/Firestone | 12/31 of the following year of the service |
| Caremore IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Champus | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Cigna Health Springs (Medicare Plans) | 120 Days |
| Cigna timely filing limit | 90 Days for Participating Providers/180 Days for Non-par Providers |
| Citrus | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Coventry | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Downey IPA | 60 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Evercare | 60 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Fire Fighter/Local 1014 | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| First Health | 3 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| FMH | 6 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| FRA | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| GHI- Group health Ins | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Global IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) for contracted and 1 Year for non-contracted |
| Great West (AH&L) | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Healthcare Partners | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Healthcare Partners | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Healthnet HMO | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Healthnet PPO | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Horizon NJ Plus | 365 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Humana | 180 Days for Physicians or 90 Days for facilities or ancillary providers |
| Humana | 27 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| ILWU | 3 Years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Karing Physicians | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Keystone Health Plan East | 60 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Lakewood IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Local 831 Health | 1 year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Magna Care | 6 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Marilyn Electro IND. Benefit Fund | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Medicaid | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Medicare Timely filing limit | 1Y or 365 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Mega Life and Health | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Memoria IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Memorial IPA | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Monarch IPA | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Motion Picture Ind | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Mutual of Omaha | 1 year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| NASI | 2 Years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Nationwide Health | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Northwest OC IPA | 90 days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Omnicare IPA | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| One Healthplan | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Operating Engineers | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Pacificare PPO | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Pioneer Medical Group | 60 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Polk Community Health Care | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Principle Financial | 3 Years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Prospect Medical Group | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| PUP | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Quality Health Plan | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Secure Horizons | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| SMA | 1 year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| So. Ca Drug Benefit | 1 year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Sun | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Tricare | 12 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Troa/mediplus | 2 years from Date of Service (DOS) |
| UFCW | 1 year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| UHC Community | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Unicare | 24 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Union Fidelity | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |
| United Health Care timely filing limit – UHC COMMERCIAL | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| United Teacher Associates | 15 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Veterans Admin | 90 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Vista | 120 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Wellcare | 180 Days from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Writers Guild Health | 18 Months from Date of Service (DOS) |
| Zenith | 1 Year from Date of Service (DOS) |