Timely filing · commercial
Cigna timely filing limit
Short answer
The Cigna timely filing limit is 90 days after the date of service for participating providers and 180 days for out-of-network providers. For a run of consecutive dates of service, such as a hospital stay, the count starts on the last date of service. When Cigna is the secondary payer the clock runs from the processing date on the primary carrier's EOB or EOP instead.
A provider appeal has to reach Cigna within 180 calendar days of the initial payment or denial notice, or of the last payment adjustment. Your contract bars balance billing the patient for a claim denied as late. Compare other payers in the timely filing limits table.
Last reviewed by the Remitwright billing team. Editorial policy
The windows
- Initial claim
- 90 days from the date of service for participating providers; 180 days for out-of-network providers1
- Counted from
- The date of service, or the last date of service when the dates are consecutive. When Cigna is secondary, the processing date shown on the primary carrier's explanation of benefits or explanation of payment.
- Appeal
- 180 calendar days from the date of the initial payment or denial notice, or from the date of the last payment adjustment
- Corrected claim
- A resubmission Cigna did not request, and that is not filed as an appeal, has to meet the standard filing limit. A claim that was filed on time and for which Cigna then requested additional information is one of Cigna's listed exceptions.
- Verified
- , against the payer document in the sources
Your participation agreement can set a different window. Where the contract and the manual disagree, the contract applies.
A visit on Monday, March 2, 2026
Counting 90 days forward from a date of service of Monday, March 2, 2026 gives Sunday, May 31, 2026. That is the last day to file under the first limit shown above; a claim filed after it is outside the window unless one of the exceptions below applies.
Exceptions the payer allows
A law requires a longer period
Where applicable law sets a longer filing period than Cigna's 90 or 180 days, the legal period applies. State prompt-pay and claim-filing statutes are the usual source.
Your agreement allows more time
A provider agreement with Cigna can carry its own filing time frame. When it does, the agreement controls over the standard limit on the public page.
Extraordinary circumstances
Cigna will consider a late claim when extraordinary circumstances caused the delay, and it may ask for evidence of what happened before it processes the claim.
Cigna asked for more information on a timely claim
When the original claim was filed on time and Cigna requested additional information, the claim falls under one of Cigna's listed exceptions to the filing limit. A resubmission Cigna did not ask for, and that is not filed as an appeal, is measured against the standard deadline.
Secondary claims
When Cigna is the secondary payer under coordination of benefits, timely filing is determined from the processing date on the primary carrier's EOB or EOP, not from the date of service.
What counts as proof of timely filing
- The clearinghouse acceptance report for the original submission showing Cigna received and accepted the claim, with the patient, date of service and submission date
- The 277CA acknowledgement for the original claim
- For secondary claims, the primary carrier's EOB or EOP showing its processing date
- For paper claims, a certified mail receipt tied to the claim batch
Notes for billers
- Cigna's appeals page suggests calling Customer Service before filing a written appeal, because timely filing denials and incomplete-claim denials can often be fixed by a real-time adjustment when you supply the missing information.
- Your contract with Cigna prohibits balance billing the patient when a claim is denied because it was not submitted within the filing time frame.
- Cigna's pages do not list specific documents accepted as proof of timely filing; the proofs above are the ones payers generally accept.
- Cigna's Request for Health Care Professional Payment Review form sets the order: call Customer Service first, then mail the form or an appeal letter within 180 days with the original claim and the EOP or EOB, and allow 60 days for processing unless state law sets other timelines. Timely claim filing without proof is one of the appeal reasons the form lists.
- Appeals go to the Cigna Appeals Unit, PO Box 188011, Chattanooga, TN 37422, or P.O. Box 188062, Chattanooga, TN 37422-8062 when the ID card shows GWH-Cigna or a G on the front. Corrected claims do not go there; they go to the claim address on the back of the patient's ID card.
FAQ
Questions about Cigna deadlines
What is Cigna's timely filing limit for in-network claims?
When does the clock start on a hospital stay or a series of visits?
How does Cigna count timely filing on a secondary claim?
How long do I have to appeal a Cigna denial?
Can I bill the patient if Cigna denies for late filing?
Does a corrected claim get a new filing window with Cigna?
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