How do I resolve a CO-29 denial?

This denial cannot be appealed unless there was an act of nature, such as a flood, fire, or there are other circumstances outside of the supplier's control, then a Redetermination request may be submitted with all relevant supporting documentation. Noridian encourages Redeterminations/Appeals be submitted using the Noridian Medicare Portal. See full Medicare contractor resolution steps at tryarceum.com.

Can I appeal a CO-29 denial?

Yes. Most CO-29 denials can be appealed within 60-180 days depending on payer. This is appealable if you can demonstrate the claim was filed timely, a payer error caused the delay, or a valid exception to the filing limit applies. Use our free tool to generate an appeal letter.

CARC Code

29

🔴 Hard Denial

Timely Filing Deadline Missed

The claim was submitted too late according to the payer's deadline for filing claims. Insurance companies require claims to be filed within a specific timeframe after the date of service.

timely filing

Resolution: 42%Hard difficulty30-60 days avg

How to resolve this denial

Which payer denied this claim?

▶✓ Pre-action checklist — verify before contacting the payer

When was the claim originally submitted? Check your billing software submission log.
Do you have proof of timely filing (EDI receipt, clearinghouse confirmation, or billing software timestamp)?
Was this claim previously submitted to another payer first? If so, your filing clock may start from their response, not the date of service.

▶More about CO-29 — stats, related codes, appeal template

42%

Recovery Rate

30-60 days

Avg. Resolution

Hard

Difficulty

Common

Frequency

Payer-Specific Notes

How major payers handle CARC 29 by specialty.

Medicare

Medicare timely filing limit is 1 year from date of service; good cause exception rare

Medicaid

State Medicaid TF limits vary: 90 days to 12 months; check state-specific rules

UnitedHealthcare

UHC commercial plans: 90 days to 12 months depending on employer group contract

Common 835 Combinations

CARC 29 most often appears with these Group Code + RARC combinations on 835 remittances.

COCO-29This claim was denied because it was submitted after the payer's contractual COCO-29+N380This combination indicates a timely filing denial where the payer has COCO-29+M76This claim was denied because it was filed after the payer's deadline, but the COCO-29+N281This claim was denied for late filing, but the payer has identified an COCO-29+N704Note: An informational alert accompanies this denial. This claim was filed COCO-29+N130The claim was denied because it was submitted after the payer's contractual COCO-29+N211The time limit for filing has expired. Claims must be filed within one year of

Look up any combination →

Appeal Letter Template

Generic appeal template for CARC 29 denials.

We are appealing the timely filing denial for claim [CLAIM_NUMBER] (DOS: [DOS]). Attached is our clearinghouse confirmation (Reference #[REF]) demonstrating this claim was submitted on [SUBMISSION_DATE], within your [X]-day filing limit. Please reconsider adjudication based on proof of timely submission.

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