AARP Timely Filing Limit 2026: Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement Deadlines

The AARP timely filing limit depends on the plan type and, for Medicare Advantage, your UnitedHealthcare contract status. Noncontracted providers get 365 days from the through date of service on AARP Medicare Advantage claims, per UHC's 2026 guide. Contracted providers follow their UHC Participation Agreement. AARP Medicare Supplement claims follow the time limit in the member's Certificate of Insurance.

AARP Medigap claims face a second clock. Original Medicare's one-calendar-year limit starts at the date of service under 42 CFR 424.44, and UHC processes the supplement claim after Medicare does. UHC publishes no number for the certificate's time limit. We found no UHC source for the 15-month AARP figure on timely filing charts.

Two questions settle the deadline on an AARP claim: which AARP product the patient carries and, for Medicare Advantage, whether you're contracted with UnitedHealthcare. Answer both at check-in.

AARP Timely Filing Limit by Plan Type and Provider Status

AARP claims fall into five deadline scenarios, set by the member's plan and your UnitedHealthcare network status. We verified each deadline below on October 4, 2026:

UHC's 2026 Administrative Guide says your Participation Agreement controls when the two conflict. Its quick-reference timely filing entry points contracted providers to their contracting contact or the Agreement and gives no day count. The date UHC receives the claim decides timeliness, so mail time and clearinghouse lag count against you.

Two AARP patients on the same morning schedule can carry different deadlines when one has Medicare Advantage and the other has a supplement. Our UHC timely filing limit guide covers UnitedHealthcare's commercial, Community Plan, and UMR deadlines that fall outside AARP.

Build this matrix into your practice management system, with a filing deadline field on each AARP claim, so your aging report sorts claims by days left to file. If you outsource billing, ask your medical billing company to keep that field current on AARP claims.

Who Processes AARP Claims? AARP, UnitedHealthcare, and Three Plan Lines

UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliates insures AARP-branded Medicare plans, according to UnitedHealthcare's AARP plan disclosures. AARP isn't the insurer. UHC pays AARP royalty fees to use AARP's intellectual property. Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement claims, eligibility, and payments run through UHC.

Three AARP-branded plan lines carry different billing rules:

• AARP Medicare Advantage from UnitedHealthcare is UHC's Part C line, which delivers Part A and Part B benefits through a private plan. Some payer lists and older plan materials still call it AARP MedicareComplete.
• AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans are Medigap policies that help pay costs Original Medicare leaves behind, such as copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
• AARP Medicare Rx plans are UHC's Part D prescription drug plans.

UHC requires AARP membership for a Medicare Supplement plan but not for Medicare Advantage or Part D. Because all three lines share the AARP logo, the logo alone won't tell your front desk which timely filing deadlines apply.

How to Tell AARP Medicare Advantage From AARP Medicare Supplement on the ID Card

An AARP Medicare Advantage card names the plan and prints a payer ID plus a plan ID number tied to CMS filings. UHC's sample plan ID starts with H. For the AARP Medicare Advantage provider phone number, use the provider line printed on the member's card.

AARP Medicare Supplement patients also carry an Original Medicare card, because Medicare pays first. The supplement's electronic payer ID is 36273. If the card doesn't settle it, look the product up in the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal under Eligibility, which UHC recommends for unfamiliar plan names.

Identifying the product at intake sets the right AARP timely filing limit for each claim that follows. Eligibility and benefits verification before each visit captures the product and plan ID up front.

AARP Medicare Advantage Timely Filing Limit

The AARP Medicare Advantage timely filing limit is 365 days from the through date of service for noncontracted providers. Contracted providers follow their UHC Participation Agreement. Neither window comes from 42 CFR 422.520, a prompt payment rule.

Contracted Providers: Your UHC Agreement Sets the Deadline

No single AARP timely filing limit covers contracted Medicare Advantage claims. Your Participation Agreement sets the window. A Regulatory Requirements Appendix attached to that Agreement controls over UHC's guide for plans in its scope. Pull the timely filing clause from your contract, and save it in your billing system with its effective date.

Don't borrow 365 days here. The 365-day statement in UHC's guide names noncontracted providers, so a contracted claim runs on whatever window your Agreement sets.

UHC tells providers to confirm network status plan by plan, because eligibility responses don't return it. A group contracted for one UHC product can be out of network on another. See our UnitedHealthcare credentialing guide.

Noncontracted Providers: 365 Days From the Through Date

UHC's 2026 guide says its Medicare Advantage plans, AARP plans included, must allow noncontracted providers 365 days from the through date of service. On a span or inpatient claim, count from the last date billed.

Take a through date of March 10, 2026. The receipt deadline is March 10, 2027. A claim you send on day 364 and UHC logs on day 366 counts as late. Plans that payer lists still call AARP MedicareComplete follow the same rule.

Why Some Sources Say 365 Days for Every Provider

Some billing guides tie a 365-day Medicare Advantage filing floor to 42 CFR 422.520. That regulation covers prompt payment. It requires Medicare Advantage plans to pay 95% of clean claims from noncontracted providers within 30 days. Plans must pay or deny other noncontracted claims within 60 calendar days.

The rule leaves contracted providers' payment to their contracts and sets no filing deadline for anyone. That 365-day figure comes from UHC's own guide and applies only to noncontracted providers.

If your AARP Medicare Advantage patients are in HMO plans, they generally need in-network providers for nonemergency care, which makes a contract worth pursuing. MedSole's provider credentialing services handle the enrollment application for $99 per insurance, with weekly follow-up until the payer confirms enrollment.

AARP Medicare Supplement Timely Filing Limit

The AARP Medicare Supplement timely filing limit is the claim time limit written in the member's UnitedHealthcare Certificate of Insurance. UHC may decline claims that arrive after that limit, according to UHC's AARP Medicare Supplement provider page, and the page publishes no number.

Two Clocks Run on Each AARP Medigap Claim

AARP Medigap claims follow Medicare's one-calendar-year rule on the Medicare claim and the certificate's limit on the supplement claim. Clock one belongs to Original Medicare. Under 42 CFR 424.44, the clock starts at the date of service. That Medicare timely filing limit has four narrow exceptions, and our guide to Medicare's 12-month filing rule walks through each one.

Clock two is the certificate's own limit. That's why UHC gives no single AARP timely filing limit for Medigap. Treat the supplement side as same-week work after Medicare's remittance posts.

Which AARP Medigap Claims Cross Over From Medicare, and Which Don't

Medicare forwards some AARP Medigap Part B claims to UHC through crossover. UHC lists the claims that don't arrive that way:

• Institutional claims, which UHC doesn't receive by crossover
• Claims with wrong member data, such as name, date of birth, or Medicare number
• Adjustment claims
• Claims Medicare paid in full
• Claims Medicare denied

Check the Medicare remittance for remark code MA18, which means Medicare forwarded the claim to the supplemental insurer. No MA18 means no crossover. If a patient balance remains, or the claim is institutional, file AARP secondary claims yourself.

How to File an AARP Medicare Supplement Claim Directly

The payer ID for AARP Medicare Supplement claims is 36273, and UHC calls electronic submission with that ID the most efficient and accurate route. For paper, the AARP Medicare Supplement claims address is UnitedHealthcare Claims Division, P.O. Box 1878, Southampton, PA 18966-9998.

UHC changed the AARP claims mailing address in 2025, and UHC's 2025 claims address notice warns that ID cards may still show the old one. Don't use the card address for claims. Attach the Medicare remittance to paper claims so UHC can see what Medicare paid.

That Provider Express line is also the AARP Medicare Supplement provider phone number for eligibility and benefits questions. If a member uses EZ Claim Pay, don't bill them for the Part B deductible, because UHC sends that payment to you separately.

Practices lose Medigap money in crossover gaps, because a supplement claim that never left Medicare doesn't show up on a UHC denial report. MedSole's outsourced medical billing team works those secondary balances as part of full-service billing starting at 2.99% of monthly collections.

Where the 15-Month AARP Timely Filing Limit Comes From

The 15-month AARP timely filing limit appears on payer charts dating to at least 2013, and no UHC guidance we found sets it.

The Earliest Source Behind the 15-Month Figure

The oldest source we found for the 15-month AARP figure is an internal timely filing sheet from a California management services organization. Version 1.1 is dated May 1, 2013. Its PPO section lists AARP at 15 months from the date of service.

The same sheet gives 15 months to several other carriers, including Bankers Life and Mega Life and Health. United Healthcare gets 90 days. That split shows the sheet treated AARP as a separate payer from UHC.

The payer charts we reviewed in October 2026 still repeat the AARP row. Some AI search answers repeat it too. Several pair the 15 months with a 120-day appeal window, which matches UHC's payment dispute deadline for noncontracted Medicare Advantage providers.

Why 15 Months Matches a Standard Insurance Policy Provision

The 15-month AARP figure likely traces to a standard proof-of-loss clause. State laws built on the Uniform Individual Accident and Sickness Policy Provisions require one in individual health policies. Indiana's version is IC 27-8-5-3(a)(7). The Indiana Department of Insurance policy checklist lists the rule: written proof within 90 days after the loss.

If 90 days isn't reasonably possible, the clause allows proof as soon as reasonably possible. The outer limit is one year after the 90-day due date, unless the person lacks legal capacity. Together, that's 15 months.

That match is a likely origin. UHC insures AARP Medicare Supplement plans under group policy form GRP 79171 GPS-1, while the model provisions cover individual policies. We haven't seen certificate language that sets 15 months.

What to Use Instead of a Payer Chart

Verify an AARP Medicare Supplement deadline against the controlling document:

1. Ask the patient for the claims provision in their Certificate of Insurance.
2. If you can't get it, call Provider Express at 800-227-7789, and log the rep's name, the date, and any reference number.
3. Confirm the crossover or file the supplement claim as soon as Medicare adjudicates, so the certificate limit doesn't decide the outcome.

Use any chart's timely filing limit as a lead to verify, and keep the confirming document in the claim file.

AARP Secondary Claims: When the Filing Clock Starts

On AARP Medicare Advantage secondary claims, the AARP timely filing limit runs at least 90 days from the primary payer's payment, contest, denial, or notice. UHC's 2026 guide sets that floor. A contracted provider's Agreement can set a different period.

An AARP Medicare Supplement plan works as AARP secondary insurance, because Original Medicare pays first. Count the Medicare Advantage window from the action date on the primary payer's EOB or 835. Keep that remittance with the claim. It's your proof of when the secondary clock started if UHC questions timeliness later.

An electronic secondary 837 carries the primary payer's paid amount plus the CAS adjustment group codes, reason codes, and amounts from its 835. Send the claim to the wrong payer first and you'll likely see a coordination of benefits denial, which our CO-22 denial code guide explains.

AARP Corrected Claim Timely Filing Limit

Under a UHC Agreement, a corrected AARP Medicare Advantage claim gets no new filing window from the remittance date. UHC's claim correction guidance says your Agreement requires all claim information, corrections included, within its filing period from the date of service, discharge, or final outpatient visit.

In UHC's example, a May 1 last date of service under a 90-day Agreement means UHC must receive every correction by July 30. Filing the original on day 30 doesn't buy the correction extra time.

That page assumes an Agreement. If you're noncontracted, plan corrections inside the original 365 days from the through date of service. We found no separate UHC window that gives noncontracted providers more time.

To send a corrected claim to UHC:

1. Wait for UHC to adjudicate the original, because a correction sent too early can come back as return code 0053, a duplicate denial.
2. On an electronic claim, enter frequency code 7, which UHC requires in all cases, in Loop 2300 at CLM05-03 or as the last digit of the institutional bill type.
3. On paper, put code 7 in Box 22, left-justified, and enter the original claim number in the Original Reference Number field.
4. Keep the original bill type, because UHC doesn't treat a claim with a different bill type as a corrected claim.

Payer-specific edits catch errors before the first submission, which leaves fewer corrections to race this clock. MedSole's claim submission services run those edits on AARP claims before the 837 leaves your system.

On AARP Medigap claims, Medicare's adjustment claims don't cross over to UHC. Once Medicare reprocesses a corrected claim, send the updated supplement claim to payer ID 36273 yourself.

AARP Appeal and Reconsideration Deadlines

The AARP appeal filing limit for noncontracted providers is 60 calendar days from the remittance notification date on AARP Medicare Advantage claims. That window applies to a UHC payment reconsideration request. Contracted providers go through reconsideration, then appeal.

Noncontracted Providers: Reconsideration or Payment Dispute

UHC splits noncontracted AARP Medicare Advantage disputes into two tracks, according to UHC's noncontracted provider appeal guide:

A reconsideration request needs a Waiver of Liability Statement, which holds the member harmless, plus your reason and supporting records. If UHC upholds the denial in whole or in part, it forwards the case to the CMS Independent Review Entity.

File either track in the portal. Go to Claims & Payments, choose Look up a Claim, open the claim, then select Act on a Claim, Explore available actions, and Create an appeal/dispute. Late reconsideration requests need documentation of the reason for the delay.

CMS guidance gives noncontracted providers 65 calendar days from the remittance notification date, while UHC's guide says 60. Filing inside 60 days satisfies both.

Contracted Providers, Member Appeals, and Medigap

Under UHC's 2026 guide, contracted providers on AARP Medicare Advantage claims start with a claim reconsideration and appeal if it doesn't resolve the issue. Check the timing for each step in your Agreement.

Member appeals run on a separate track. CMS's Part C reconsideration page gives members 65 calendar days from the notice date. The regulation, 42 CFR 422.582, counts 60 days from receipt of the written notice, so counting 60 days from the notice date keeps you inside both.

We found no provider appeal window on UHC's AARP Medicare Supplement provider page. If Medicare denies the underlying claim, appeal through Medicare's own levels first.

A team that spends a week deciding which track applies has already used part of its 60-day window. MedSole's denial management services sort each denial by reason code, file the right appeal, and fix the cause upstream.

Proof of Timely Filing UHC Accepts on AARP Claims

Proof of timely filing on an AARP claim has to show that UHC received and accepted the right claim inside your window. UHC asks for five data points: the submission date, the acceptance date, member identification, the date of service, and provider identification.

Rejected claims don't count. A rejection means the claim never entered adjudication, so it can't prove timely filing. For electronic claims, a submission report alone isn't proof, so pair it with the acceptance report from your clearinghouse or UHC.

MedSole's rating of evidence for meeting UHC's timely filing deadlines:

A 999 tells you whether the file passed syntax checks, while the 277CA tells you whether each claim inside it was accepted or rejected. Save the 277CA. The 999 alone won't carry a timely filing dispute.

A timely filing denial carries CARC 29: the time limit for filing has expired. CO means contractual obligation. Pull the proof packet the day a CO-29 posts, while your reconsideration window is still open.

When a Late AARP Claim Can Still Be Paid

A late AARP claim can still get paid when one of Original Medicare's four filing exceptions applies. Those exceptions cover the Medicare claim behind an AARP Medigap claim, plus claims that move to Original Medicare after a retroactive AARP Medicare Advantage disenrollment. We found no UHC rule that extends the 365-day limit on AARP Medicare Advantage claims.

Under 42 CFR 424.44(b), the four exceptions are:

• An error or misrepresentation by a Medicare contractor or an HHS employee or agent
• Retroactive Medicare entitlement
• Retroactive entitlement where a state Medicaid agency recovered its payment six months or more after the service
• Retroactive disenrollment from a Medicare Advantage plan or PACE organization, where the plan recovered its payment six months or more after the service

Each extension runs through the last day of the sixth calendar month after the triggering notice or recovery. Error-exception requests made more than four years after the date of service get no extension. Nonworkday deadlines move to the next workday.

The fourth exception matters for AARP practices. Say a patient's AARP Medicare Advantage enrollment ends retroactively, back past the date of service. If the plan recovers its payment six months or more after the service, you get an extended window to bill Original Medicare.

Billing the patient after a timely filing denial is rarely an option. Contracted providers agree to member hold-harmless terms with UHC, so a late claim usually ends as your write-off. Noncontracted reconsiderations waive member liability.

Check your Agreement and your state's rules before any statement goes out, and apply the same check to AARP Medigap balances.

How MedSole RCM Keeps AARP Claims Inside the Filing Window

MedSole RCM manages AARP claims as part of full-service revenue cycle management, working inside your existing EHR so your staff doesn't switch platforms. MedSole's medical billing starts at 2.99% of monthly collections, and payer enrollment and credentialing costs $99 per insurance, with no setup fee and no long-term contract.

On AARP claims, the team follows this workflow against the AARP timely filing limit that applies to each one:

• Confirm the AARP product and network status in the UHC portal before the visit
• Set a filing deadline on each claim based on product and contract
• Match Medicare remittances against Medigap secondaries and file balances that didn't cross over
• Work aging claims daily through AR follow-up, sorted by dollar value and filing-deadline proximity
• Post ERA and EOB payments the day they arrive

Most practices go live within seven to 10 days, and payer enrollment runs 30 to 90 days. MedSole works with more than 4,000 providers across more than 75 specialties in all 50 states.

A free billing analysis is a practical first step if AARP claims are aging in your AR. MedSole's team reviews your AR aging, denial history, payer mix, and fee schedules.

AARP Timely Filing Limit FAQs

What is the AARP timely filing limit?

The AARP timely filing limit depends on the plan type and, for Medicare Advantage, your UnitedHealthcare contract status. Noncontracted providers get 365 days from the through date of service on AARP Medicare Advantage claims. Contracted providers follow their UHC Participation Agreement. AARP Medicare Supplement claims follow the time limit in the member's Certificate of Insurance, while the Original Medicare claim underneath has one calendar year from the date of service. We found no UHC document that sets the 15 months that payer charts list.

What is the AARP Medicare Advantage timely filing limit?

Noncontracted providers have 365 days from the through date of service to file AARP Medicare Advantage claims, according to UnitedHealthcare's 2026 Care Provider Administrative Guide. Contracted providers follow the filing period in their Participation Agreement, which the guide doesn't publish. Timeliness turns on UHC's receipt date. Plans that payer lists call AARP MedicareComplete follow the same rules. Confirm your network status for each UHC product in the provider portal, because eligibility responses don't return it.

What is the AARP Medicare Supplement timely filing limit?

The deadline for AARP Medicare Supplement claims is the time limit written in the member's UnitedHealthcare Certificate of Insurance, and UHC may decline claims that arrive after that limit. UHC publishes no number for it. You must file the Original Medicare claim within one calendar year of the date of service under 42 CFR 424.44. Confirm the crossover or, if a balance remains, file the supplement claim to payer ID 36273 once Medicare's remittance posts.

What is the payer ID for AARP Medicare Supplement claims?

The payer ID for AARP Medicare Supplement claims is 36273. UnitedHealthcare calls electronic submission with that payer ID the most efficient and accurate way to send these claims. Processing typically takes 10 to 14 days. AARP Medicare Advantage claims use the payer ID printed on the member's card. Medicare forwards some Part B claims through crossover, but institutional claims, adjustment claims, claims with wrong member data, and claims Medicare denied or paid in full won't arrive that way.

What is the AARP Medicare Supplement claims address?

The AARP Medicare Supplement claims address is UnitedHealthcare Claims Division, P.O. Box 1878, Southampton, PA 18966-9998. UHC changed the address in 2025. Member ID cards may still show the old one, so don't use the card address for claims. Attach the Medicare remittance to paper claims so UHC can see what Medicare paid. For eligibility, benefits, or claim status, call Provider Express at 800-227-7789, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET or Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

What is the AARP corrected claim timely filing limit?

Under a UHC Agreement, a corrected AARP Medicare Advantage claim gets no new filing window from the remittance date. The correction must reach UHC inside the original filing period, counted from the date of service, discharge, or final outpatient visit. In UHC's example, a May 1 last date of service under a 90-day Agreement means UHC must receive the correction by July 30. Use frequency code 7. For AARP Medigap claims, Medicare adjustment claims don't cross over, so send the corrected supplement claim yourself.

Is AARP Medicare the same as UnitedHealthcare?

AARP Medicare plans are UnitedHealthcare products that carry the AARP name. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliates insures AARP Medicare Advantage, AARP Medicare Supplement, and AARP Medicare Rx plans. UHC pays AARP royalty fees to use AARP's intellectual property. AARP isn't an insurer. UHC requires AARP membership only for the Medicare Supplement plans. For billing, UHC's portal, payer IDs, and claim rules apply, but AARP Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement each have their own filing deadline and claim routing.

Can you bill the patient after an AARP timely filing denial?

Billing the patient after an AARP timely filing denial is rarely an option. Contracted providers agree to member hold-harmless terms with UHC, so a late AARP Medicare Advantage claim usually becomes a write-off. Noncontracted reconsiderations waive member liability. Check your Agreement and your state's rules before any statement goes out, including on AARP Medigap balances. If the delay fits one of Medicare's four exceptions under 42 CFR 424.44(b), the Original Medicare claim may still get paid.

Which billing company can manage AARP filing deadlines for my practice?

MedSole RCM manages AARP claims as part of full-service medical billing that starts at 2.99% of monthly collections, with no setup fee or long-term contract. Credentialing costs $99 per insurance. The team confirms the AARP product at eligibility and sets a filing deadline on each claim. It also files Medigap balances that didn't cross over and works aging claims by filing-deadline proximity. Most practices go live within seven to 10 days. MedSole works with more than 4,000 providers across more than 75 specialties in all 50 states.