OA-29: Timely Filing Limit Expired

What Does OA-29 Mean?

With OA (Other Adjustments), CARC 29 typically appears in a coordination of benefits (COB) context. Claim to secondary payer filed past their filing deadline. The financial responsibility depends on the specific arrangement between payers — review the primary payer's EOB and the COB terms to determine the correct course of action.

CARC 29 indicates timely filing limit expired. The payer rejected the claim because it was not received within the required filing deadline specified by the payer's guidelines or the provider contract.

Common scenarios that trigger this adjustment include: provider failed to submit the claim within the payer's timely filing limit (typically 90 days to 1 year from date of service); Waiting for primary payer adjudication caused the secondary claim to miss the filing deadline; Original claim was denied and the corrected resubmission exceeded the timely filing limit. The group code paired with CARC 29 determines who bears the financial responsibility — CO places it on the provider as a contractual obligation, OA indicates a coordination of benefits or other payer adjustment, PR shifts it to the patient.

Common Causes

How to Resolve

1. Review the coordination of benefits Examine the OA-29 adjustment to understand how it fits within the primary/secondary payer relationship or other multi-payer context.
2. Verify primary payer adjudication Review the primary payer's EOB to understand the basis for the secondary payer's OA adjustment.
3. Determine the responsible party Based on the COB review, identify whether the adjustment should be absorbed, billed to another payer, or if additional documentation is needed.
4. Appeal or resubmit if needed Appeal with proof of timely filing and documentation of any payer-caused delays.
5. Follow up Monitor the claim status and take additional action as needed based on the COB determination.

Common RARC Pairings

The RARC code tells you exactly what triggered the OA-29:

How to Prevent OA-29

• Same prevention as CO applies
• Track secondary filing deadlines separately

Also Filed As

The same CARC 29 may appear with different Group Codes: