Filing Time Limit Expired

Common Causes for 29

Denials with code 29 typically happen for the following specific reasons:

• Payer-specific timely filing rule misalignment: Providers maintain outdated or incorrect filing deadline assumptions for individual payers, particularly when commercial insurers enforce 30-90 day limits that differ substantially from the standard 365-day Medicare benchmark, leading to claims submitted within what the provider believes is compliant but exceeds the actual payer requirement.
• Claim processing delays from incomplete or missing documentation: Initial claim submissions lack required supporting documentation (medical records, prior authorization confirmations, or patient eligibility verification), triggering internal rework cycles that consume the filing window before resubmission, especially when payers do not formally acknowledge receipt during the delay period.
• Fiscal year overlap and service date ambiguity: Claims for services spanning calendar or fiscal year boundaries are submitted with incorrect service dates or encounter multiple internal routing delays due to departmental handoffs, causing the submission to fall outside the payer's filing window relative to the actual service delivery date.
• System integration and transmission failures: Claims fail to transmit successfully to payer systems due to EDI connectivity issues, clearinghouse delays, or format validation errors that are not immediately detected, resulting in silent failures where the provider believes the claim was submitted timely but the payer's system never received it.
• Administrative workflow gaps and tracking failures: Providers lack centralized claim submission tracking systems, resulting in claims remaining in queue during staff transitions, system migrations, or periods of high volume without clear accountability for submission deadlines, particularly for claims requiring manual intervention or special handling.

How to Prevent 29 Denials

To avoid receiving this denial in the future, implement these specific checks:

• Establish a payer-specific timely filing matrix: Create and maintain a documented, accessible database for each contracted payer listing their exact filing deadlines (original and replacement claims), any exceptions for specific service types or modalities, and fiscal year considerations. Update this matrix quarterly and cross-reference it during claim submission workflows to prevent deadline misalignment.
• Implement pre-submission claim validation checkpoints: Before claim transmission, verify that all required supporting documentation is attached and complete, confirm patient eligibility and authorization status are current, and validate that service dates are accurately captured in the claim header. Flag any claims with documentation gaps for immediate resolution rather than allowing them to enter the submission queue incomplete.
• Deploy automated claim aging and deadline alerts: Configure your billing system to generate automated alerts when claims approach payer-specific filing deadlines (at 50%, 75%, and 90% of the allowed window), with escalation protocols that route at-risk claims to supervisory staff for expedited processing or manual intervention.
• Establish claim submission tracking with transmission confirmation: Require documented proof of successful claim transmission (EDI acknowledgment, clearinghouse receipt confirmation, or payer portal submission timestamp) for every claim submitted. Maintain a log that correlates submission date with service date for each claim, enabling rapid verification if CO-29 denials are received.
• Conduct monthly timely filing compliance audits: Perform retrospective analysis of all claims submitted in the prior month, comparing submission dates against payer filing deadlines and identifying any claims that approached or exceeded the deadline. Use findings to identify systemic workflow bottlenecks, staff training gaps, or payer rule misunderstandings that require corrective action.

Appeal Letter Template for 29

If you believe this claim was denied incorrectly, you can use the following template to submit an appeal.

[Your Practice Header]
[Date]

[Payer Name]
[Appeals Department Address]

RE: Appeal for Claim [Claim Number]
Patient: [Patient Name]
ID: [Patient ID]
Date of Service: [Date]
Denial Code: 29 - Filing Time Limit Expired

Dear Appeals Department,

I am writing to appeal the denial of the above-referenced claim, which was denied with code 29: "Filing Time Limit Expired".

We respectfully request reconsideration of the CO-29 denial for claim [claim number], submitted on [submission date] for services rendered on [service date]. Our records demonstrate timely submission within the contractually agreed filing deadline of [X days/date], as evidenced by [EDI transmission acknowledgment/clearinghouse receipt timestamp/payer portal submission confirmation]. The claim contains medically necessary services with appropriate clinical documentation, accurate coding, and no coverage limitations. The denial appears to reflect a discrepancy between our submission records and the payer's received date, potentially attributable to system transmission delays, clearinghouse processing time, or payer system receipt timing that does not align with our transmission timestamp. We have provided proof of timely filing initiation and request that the claim be reconsidered for payment based on the clinical merit of the services and our documented compliance with filing requirements. Additionally, if extenuating circumstances (such as payer system outages or natural disasters) affected the filing window, we request consideration of a timely filing exception under the payer's policy provisions for circumstances beyond the provider's control.

Attached please find:
1. A copy of the original claim.
2. The relevant medical records supporting the service.
3. [Any other supporting documents].

We respectfully request that you reprocess this claim for payment.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Title]
[Practice Name]