Filing Claim Where General Time Limit Has Expired

As a general rule, where the contractor receives a late filed claim submitted by a provider or supplier with no explanation attached as to the circumstances surrounding the late filing, the contractor should assume that the provider or supplier accepts responsibility for the late filing.
Where it comes to the attention of a provider or supplier that health services that are or may be covered were furnished to a beneficiary but that the general time limit (defined in §70.1 above) on filing a claim for such services has expired, the provider or supplier should take the following action.

• Where the provider or supplier accepts responsibility for late filing, it should file a no-payment claim. (See Chapter 3 for no-payment bill processing instructions.)

Where the provider or supplier believes the beneficiary is responsible for late filing, it should contact the contractor and also file a no-payment claim and include a statement in the remarks field on the claim explaining the circumstances which led to the late filing and giving the reasons for believing that the beneficiary (or other person acting for him/her) is responsible for the late filing. If a paper claim is submitted, such a statement may be attached and, if practicable, may include the statement of the beneficiary as to the beneficiary’s view on these circumstances.

• Where the beneficiary does not agree with the determination that the claim was not filed timely or the determination that he/she is responsible for the late filing, the usual appeal rights are available to the beneficiary. Where the provider or supplier is protesting the denial of payment or the assignment of responsibility, no formal channels of appeal are available. However, the contractor may, at the request of the provider or supplier, informally review its initial determination.


Exceptions Allowing Extension of Time Limit

 the following exceptions to the 1 calendar year time limit for filing fee for service claims:

(1) Administrative error, if failure to meet the filing deadline was caused by error or misrepresentation of an employee, Medicare contractor, or agent of the Department that was performing Medicare functions and acting within the scope of its authority (See 70.7.1).

(2) Retroactive Medicare entitlement, where a beneficiary receives notification of Medicare entitlement retroactive to or before the date the service was furnished. For example, at the time services were furnished the beneficiary was not entitled to Medicare. However, after the timely filing period has expired, the beneficiary subsequently receives notification of Medicare entitlement effective retroactively to or before the date of the furnished service (See 70.7.2).

(3) Retroactive Medicare entitlement involving State Medicaid Agencies, where a State Medicaid Agency recoups payment from a provider or supplier 6 months or more after the date the service was furnished to a dually eligible beneficiary. For example, at the time the service was furnished the beneficiary was only entitled to Medicaid and not to Medicare. Subsequently, the beneficiary receives notification of Medicare entitlement effective retroactively to or before the date of the furnished service. The State Medicaid Agency recoups its money from the provider or supplier and the provider or supplier cannot submit the claim to Medicare, because the the timely filing limit has expired

(4) Retroactive disenrollment from a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan or Program of All-inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) provider organization, where a beneficiary was enrolled in an MA plan or PACE provider organization, but later was disenrolled from the MA plan or PACE provider organization retroactive to or before the date the service was furnished, and the MA plan or PACE provider organization recoups it payment from a provider or supplier 6 months or more after the date the service was furnished



Where the initial request for an exception to the timely filing limit is made by a provider or supplier, the Medicare contractor has responsibility for determining whether a late claim may be honored based on all pertinent documentation submitted by the provider or supplier, and for the exceptions described in sections 70.7.2 and 70.7.3, based on its review of the relevant information contained in the Common Working File (CWF) database. As explained in sections 70.7.1 – 70.7.4, the contractor will determine if the requirements for a particular exception are met. However, in certain circumstances, the contractor may contact the appropriate CMS regional office (RO) to ascertain whether it wants to participate in the review and decision-making of the specific exception request. In limited circumstances, the RO may conclude that the exception request should go to CMS Central Office for a final determination