Kaiser Permanente Timely Filing Limit: 90, 180, or 365 Days by Region

On this page

• Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit by region and plan
• Is the Kaiser timely filing limit 90, 180, or 365 days?
• How the Kaiser filing clock works and how to calculate it
• Kaiser corrected claim timely filing: how the second clock works
• Secondary claims and coordination of benefits at Kaiser
• How to prove timely filing to Kaiser
• What happens when a Kaiser claim misses the deadline
• Kaiser Permanente appeals and provider disputes by region
• Emergency, out-of-network, and non-contracted Kaiser claims
• Kaiser member claim windows are a separate clock
• Where to send Kaiser claims: addresses, payer IDs, and status
• How the Kaiser limit compares with other payers
• Outsourcing Kaiser claims: what MedSole RCM does and what it costs
• Kaiser Permanente timely filing FAQ
• Sources, method, and last verified date

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit is 90, 180, or 365 days, depending on your region, contract, and plan. Northern California asks for 90 days and sets 365 as the outer limit, and Northwest self-funded claims get 120. Your contract can allow a longer period.

Searchers want one number. Kaiser's eight regions publish separate documents, and that's why a generic payer list can hand you the wrong Kaiser timely filing limit. The timely filing deadlines below are provider limits, with a source for each in Table 1. Member reimbursement windows run on their own clock.

Don't rely on any number below until you've read your own agreement. If eight regions are more than your front office can track, you can outsource medical billing to a team that tracks those deadlines for you.

Kaiser Permanente claim filing deadline by region. Seven of eight regions state a timely filing limit. Hawaii's claims page doesn't.

• Northern California HMO: 90 days requested, 365 days outer limit, per the 2025 Northern California manual.
• Southern California: 90 days, per the Southern California institutional manual.
• Colorado: 90 days for commercial members and 365 days for Medicare members.
• Georgia: 90 days unless your contract says otherwise.
• Hawaii: no filing limit on Kaiser's claims page, so check your contract.
• Mid-Atlantic States: 180 days for non-Medicare members and 12 months for Medicare Advantage.
• Northwest and Washington: 365 days, for new Northwest claims and Washington commercial members.

If a document names a start date, it's the date of service. Northern California and Southern California's institutional manual also count from discharge, as applicable.

Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit by region and plan

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit runs from 90 to 365 days, because each region sets its own. Table 1 lists each region and plan we reviewed, with its source. Your contract can set a different period, so check your own timely filing limit before you file.

Table 1. Region, limit, counting rule, and source for each Kaiser Permanente document reviewed. Last verified: September 27, 2026.

Each region writes its own manual. So timely filing limits differ, and Kaiser Permanente timely filing guidelines give way to your agreement when it says otherwise. You'll want the member's region confirmed at benefit verification before you pick a row.

Table 1 covers first submissions only. Corrected claims, secondary claims, and appeals each run on their own clock, and member reimbursement windows don't set your deadline at all.

The exact wording behind the numbers

Four passages follow word for word, so you can quote Kaiser instead of a summary.

Northern California, Section 5.7, 2025 manual: "KP requests that Providers submit claims for services provided to Members within 90 Calendar Days of such service." The same section says claims "must be sent to the appropriate address no later than 365 Calendar Days (or any longer period specified in your Agreement or required by law)."

Southern California, 2026 institutional manual: "Submit all claims for services provided to KP Members within 90 calendar days after the date of service or discharge, unless a different submission period is specified in your Agreement or required by law."

Colorado, Section 5.3.2, 2024 manual: "The standard is ninety (90) calendar days from the date of service for Commercial Members and 365 calendar days from the date of service for Medicare Members."

Mid-Atlantic States, Chapter 8, Section 8.1: "Claims/bills for services provided to non-Medicare members must be received within one hundred eighty (180) calendar days of the date of service to be considered for processing and payment."

Plan differences inside each region

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit changes by plan inside three regions, and a fourth adds a contract caveat.

• Colorado: 90 days for commercial members and 365 days for Medicare members.
• Mid-Atlantic States: 180 days for non-Medicare members and 12 months for Medicare Advantage members, unless your contract or letter of agreement differs.
• Northwest: 365 days for new claims and 120 days for self-funded claims.
• Northern California: the KPIC self-funded manual keeps 90 and 365 days but says payor contracts can vary.

Picture a Colorado clinic that sees two Kaiser members on the same day, one commercial and one Medicare. The commercial claim gets 90 days. For the Medicare claim, it's 365. One payer and one visit date still give you two deadlines.

The Northern California HMO manual says it doesn't address claims for fully insured or self-funded products underwritten or administered by Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company (KPIC). It points to the self-funded manual. Match the member's plan to the right row before you file.

What is the difference between Kaiser Permanente Northwest and Washington?

Kaiser Permanente Northwest (NW) and Kaiser Permanente Washington (WA) are separate regions with their own manuals, claims addresses, and phone numbers. Northwest gives 365 days for new claims and 120 days for self-funded claims. Washington gives 365 days for commercial members, and Section 6.2.22 of its manual covers timely filing.

Don't mix the two up. The Northwest file we reviewed carries a 2018 header, so confirm its edition. Washington's manual carries a cover date of June 15, 2026, but we couldn't read its Section 6.2.22. Check that section for your member's plan before you count on 365 days.

Where to confirm the number before you rely on it

Follow this order when a claim is close to its deadline.

1. Read your agreement or letter of agreement first.
2. Open the regional manual named in Table 1 and find its billing section.
3. Check the edition date in the page header or footer.
4. Ask Kaiser provider relations about gaps, and keep the reply in writing.
5. Put the last filing day on the account when you register the visit.

Hawaii shows why. Its claims page states no filing limit, and we couldn't read the 2026 manual. Whatever you find, log the document, section, edition, and the date you checked, because that note can settle a dispute.

Is the Kaiser timely filing limit 90, 180, or 365 days?

It's all three, and each Kaiser region sets its own. Regional timely filing differences come from separate manuals, contracts, and plans, so the right number depends on where the member's coverage sits. Across the documents we reviewed, the numbers line up like this.

• At 90 days: Southern California, Colorado commercial, Georgia, and Northern California's requested limit.
• At 180 days: Mid-Atlantic members without Medicare, and Northern California's outer limit in the 2022 to 2024 manuals.
• At 365 days: Northern California's 2025 outer limit, Colorado Medicare, Mid-Atlantic Medicare Advantage, Northwest new claims, and Washington commercial.

Where each number comes from

Each number has a source. It's a region's contract, provider manual, or provider page, and Kaiser runs eight regions that each publish their own documents. We haven't found one rule that sets a single timely filing limit across them.

Outside rules set minimums. In California, a plan can't set a deadline below 90 days for contracted providers or 180 days for non-contracted providers (28 CCR 1300.71). Other law can require a different deadline. Original Medicare allows one calendar year (42 CFR 424.44).

Don't lean on a state chart. A list of medical billing time limits by state can't settle it, because regions don't follow state lines. California has two Kaiser regions. The Mid-Atlantic States region covers Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Why 180 days keeps showing up

You'll see 180 days quoted for Kaiser. We found it in these places, and only some are filing limits.

• Mid-Atlantic States: the filing limit for members without Medicare, in Section 8.1.
• Northern California: the outer limit in the 2022 to 2024 manuals.
• California non-contracted commercial claims: 180 days, which Kaiser's Change Healthcare FAQ extended to 365 days for providers using that clearinghouse.
• Mid-Atlantic States: the payment dispute window, in Section 8.11.
• Kaiser member pages: claim windows of 180 days for members in plans such as Flexible Choice, which apply to members' own claims.

What changed in the Northern California manual

In Northern California, the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit moved from 180 to 365 days as the outer limit. Section 5.7 says 180 days in the 2022 and 2023 editions. The 2024 edition does too. It's the 2025 edition that says 365.

A payer list that still shows 180 days for Northern California matches the 2022 to 2024 manuals. Timely filing deadlines can move. The issue is that Kaiser reissues its manuals, and old lists don't keep up. Check the edition date on any document you rely on.

We couldn't review the 2026 edition. Treat 365 days as the 2025 answer, and check Section 5.7 of the 2026 manual before you file. If the number changed, update the due dates on your open claims.

One claim, three deadlines

Say a Kaiser member visits your clinic on September 1, 2026.

Table 2. Last filing day for a date of service of September 1, 2026, under each limit, counting the date of service as day zero.

Kaiser's manuals don't say how to count. Treat each date as the last possible day, and file earlier. We found no weekend or holiday extension either.

How to pick the number that applies to your claim

Work through these steps in order on each Kaiser claim.

1. Find the region that holds the member's coverage, which can differ from the region where you practice.
2. Match the member's product: HMO, Medicare, self-funded, or another plan.
3. Read your contract or letter of agreement for a different period.
4. Take the earliest date that could apply, and file before it.

When your agreement and the manual disagree

Kaiser's documents in five regions let your contract change the number. Colorado's manual applies Section 5 "unless your Agreement provides otherwise," and Georgia's claims page opens its deadline with "Unless otherwise specified in your contractual agreement." If yours differs, follow it. A phone answer won't override it.

That's a lot of clocks to track. If this sounds familiar, our outsourced billing team can take it on, tracking each deadline and chasing each denial so your staff stays with patients. Billing starts at 2.99% of collections, with no setup fees.

How the Kaiser filing clock works and how to calculate it

Kaiser runs more than one clock. New claims, corrected claims, secondary claims, and disputes each have their own, and each starts on a different date.

What is a timely filing limit?

A timely filing limit is the deadline a payer sets for filing your claim, counted from the date of service or discharge. Miss it, and the payer can deny the claim. That can happen even when the plan covers the care and your coding is right.

TFL in medical billing is shorthand for this deadline, and TRICARE For Life shares the abbreviation, so don't mix them up.

Which date starts the clock

The time limit for insurance claim filing starts on a different date for each claim type. Kaiser's documents name five of them.

Table 3. Which date starts each Kaiser clock, by claim type

The verbs differ too. Northern California says claims must be "sent" by the deadline, but Mid-Atlantic's Section 8.1 says non-Medicare claims must be "received" within 180 days. If a document says received, don't wait for the last day.

Northern California: requested limit versus outer limit

Section 5.7 of the 2025 Northern California manual splits the timely filing limit: 90 days requested, 365 days required. Your agreement can allow longer. Treat the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit there as a target plus a cutoff. Don't let claims age in AR Follow-Up until day 365.

When Kaiser has extended the last day

The Change Healthcare FAQ, updated April 4, 2024, says Kaiser would extend timely filing for commercial members in eight markets. That covered contracted providers who used Change Healthcare, for each day it was down. It lists no end date. Don't count on the extension until Kaiser confirms it.

Timely filing limit calculator: worked date examples

Once you know your timely filing limit, finding the last day takes four steps that work for each clock in Table 3. For new claims, the Northern California, Colorado, and Mid-Atlantic documents state calendar days. If a document says only "days," count calendar days. It's the safer assumption.

1. Pick the starting event from Table 3.
2. Add your number of days, counting the start date as day zero.
3. Treat the result as the last possible day, and file before it.
4. Log that date on the claim the day you create it.

Table 4. Worked examples of the last filing day, counting the start date as day zero

Colorado's 2024 manual counts business days for corrected claims, so weekends don't count there. That lands about five weeks later.

Kaiser corrected claim timely filing: how the second clock works

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit for a corrected claim runs on a second clock that counts from the original remittance advice. Kaiser's institutional manual lists 90 days for Colorado and 365 days for Georgia, Hawaii, Mid-Atlantic States, and Northwest. Section 5.10 of Northern California's manual states none.

The 2026 institutional manual applies that clock to a claim that first arrived inside its timely filing limit but lacked information. Section 5.8 in Northern California's manual asks for proof of the first submission. You'll want that proof on hand.

Corrected claim limits by region

Four different answers appear across Kaiser's documents.

Table 5. Corrected claim limits by region, as each document states them

Start with the notice Kaiser sends. Section 10.9.2 of the institutional manual says the notice sets the correction period. If the notice doesn't say, the period defaults to the filing period in your agreement or in the law.

Worked example: two readings of Colorado's 90 days

Take a Colorado clinic that gets a remittance advice dated September 8, 2026, for a claim that lacked information.

Table 6. Last day for the corrected claim, counting from a remittance advice dated September 8, 2026

For corrected claim TFL, that's a gap of 36 days between two readings. The Colorado manual covers one region, but the institutional manual is newer, and we couldn't tell which one Kaiser applies. Use the earlier date until Kaiser confirms.

Colorado adds one more limit. Section 5.3.6 says Kaiser won't make claim adjustments after 12 months from the date of the initial remittance advice. A later remittance advice doesn't restart that count, so log the first date.

How to submit the correction

Northern California's Section 5.10 sets the mechanics, and Mid-Atlantic's Section 8.12 asks for the same original claim number.

1. Send a replacement with frequency code 7, or a void with frequency code 8.
2. On paper, put the code in box 22 of a CMS-1500 or in the last digit of the UB-04 type of bill.
3. Include the original claim number, which Mid-Atlantic calls the Document Control Number.
4. Supply the information the notice said was missing.
5. Keep proof of the first submission with the file.

A clean claim submission on the first pass keeps more claims off that second clock, though it won't stop all corrections. Fewer corrections mean fewer dates to track.

Secondary claims and coordination of benefits at Kaiser

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit for a secondary claim runs from the primary payer's payment or explanation of benefits (EOB). Kaiser coordination of benefits (COB) rules differ by region, and Colorado's manual sets two separate clocks.

• Northern California: 90 days after the primary payer pays, or longer under your agreement or the law, per Section 5.19.3.
• Colorado, secondary claims: 45 days from the primary payer's EOB or statement of remittance, per Colorado Section 5.
• Colorado, COB information: 12 months from Kaiser's request for commercial members, and 24 months for Medicare and Medicaid members, or 27 months in the last three months of the year.
• Northwest: 365 days from the primary payer's EOB, per Section 5.47.
• Mid-Atlantic States: no COB limit stated in Chapter 8.

California sets a floor. Under 28 CCR 1300.71, a plan that pays second can't require filing sooner than 90 days after the primary payer's payment, contest, denial, or notice. It's a minimum, and Kaiser's number for your region can be longer.

Attach the primary remit. Northern California's manual says Kaiser won't pay a secondary claim that arrives without the primary payment information or the primary payer's explanation of payment. Our guide to CO-22 denials explains the fix for a coordination of benefits denial.

Secondary claims get messy when the primary remit and the filing deadline don't live in the same place. If that sounds like your office, our revenue cycle management team can help. It keeps both in one workflow.

How to prove timely filing to Kaiser

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit is only as safe as your record of the first submission. Northern California says system-generated reports count and handwritten or typed documentation doesn't. Colorado and Northwest name similar reports.

What Kaiser's documents accept

Table 7. Evidence of the first submission that Kaiser's documents name, by region

Proof of timely filing has to show when the claim first went in. Northern California's manual says Kaiser reviews that original submission date whenever it considers a claim for timely filing or reconsiders one. A dated system report answers it. Typed notes don't.

How to show proof of timely filing

Your clearinghouse produces the acceptance report and passes along the payer acknowledgment, and both should show dates. If yours can't export dated reports, compare clearinghouse options before the next claim. Build the packet below for each Kaiser claim before the timely filing limit gets close.

1. Submit through EDI whenever you can, so a system creates the record.
2. Save the clearinghouse acceptance report and the payer acknowledgment, such as a 277CA, on the day you submit.
3. Store both reports on the claim record, where anyone working it can find them.
4. Keep each remit notice and denial notice with the claim as it arrives.
5. Pull the full set before you file a reconsideration or dispute.

Suppose a denial for late filing lands months after the visit. The dated report from submission day, with Kaiser's acknowledgment, shows the claim went in on time. Without it, you're arguing from memory.

Where proof buys a second look

Three regions set a reconsideration window, and each wants evidence.

• Mid-Atlantic States: resubmitted claims with proof of the initial filing, received within 180 days of the original denial or explanation of payment, per Section 8.11.
• Northwest: the same rule at 365 days, per Section 5.21.
• Colorado: reconsideration within 45 business days of the remittance advice, per Section 5.3.4 of the 2024 manual.

Each rule expects proof of timely filing. Good payment posting keeps the remit on the claim, so you aren't hunting for it. Log the denial or remittance date when it posts, because each window above counts from it.

What happens when a Kaiser claim misses the deadline

In Northern California, Kaiser denies a claim for untimely submission when it arrives after the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit. A provider dispute is the path back, and Section 5.7 accepts late claims with good cause where the law requires it.

What counts as late in Northern California

Section 5.7 requests 90 and requires 365. Yet Section 5.23 doesn't name a number. It denies claims "received beyond the applicable filing period." Because 90 is only a request, the manual's binding limit is 365 days, or longer if your agreement allows.

Take a claim that reaches Kaiser on day 120 after the visit. It's past the request, inside the requirement. If Kaiser denies it as late, ask in writing which period it applied, and check your agreement.

Can you bill a patient for timely filing denials?

Not in Northern California, if you're contracted.Section 5.23 says you may not bill the member for a claim denied as untimely, though you may resubmit it as a provider dispute. Mid-Atlantic's Chapter 8 doesn't address billing members for late claims, so check your agreement.

What CO-29 means on a Kaiser remittance

CO-29 means the clock ran out. On a Kaiser claim, it says the claim missed the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit that applied. The CO group code stands for contractual obligation, which billers treat as a provider write-off. Original Medicare doesn't vary by region, so see Medicare's CO-29 rules.

Denials that look like filing problems

Before you accept a CO-29, confirm which timely filing limit Kaiser applied, starting with these five checks.

• Confirm Kaiser acknowledged your first submission.
• Confirm it went to the region that holds the member's coverage.
• Confirm it wasn't a corrected or secondary claim running on its own clock.
• Confirm you used the number for the member's product: commercial, Medicare, or self-funded.
• Confirm your agreement doesn't set a longer period.

Track each filing miss by region, plan, and root cause. Good RCM reporting shows whether a miss came from late submission, routing, or missing proof, and those don't share a fix. A denial count alone won't show that.

The way back: a provider dispute with good cause

Section 5.7 says Kaiser will adjudicate late claims when a provider dispute notice shows good cause, where the law requires it. We found no definition of good cause. Don't be vague: state the reason and attach the evidence. Section 6.2.3 gives you 365 days from Kaiser's action.

If the dispute fails, a contracted provider in Northern California posts a contractual write-off and doesn't bill the member. Keep the dispute file and the proof of first submission with the account.

Working a CO-29 takes two steps. You prove the first submission, then file the dispute before the window closes. If you're stuck in that loop, our denial management team can take both off your desk and keep the proof on file.

Kaiser Permanente appeals and provider disputes by region

The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit covers your first claim. Once Kaiser pays or denies it, a separate clock starts: the dispute window. In the documents we read, it runs from 60 days to 30 months, and your region and contract status set it.

Searches for a health insurance denial appeal deadline mix two processes. Members appeal coverage decisions. The member pages we read give them 180 days. A provider disputes the payment decision instead, and that's where a denial for missing the timely filing limit goes.

Dispute windows by region

Table 8. Kaiser Permanente appeal timely filing limit by region: provider dispute windows

Table 8 leaves out Georgia and Hawaii because we couldn't read either region's current manual. Georgia's sits behind the Online Affiliate login. Until you can read yours, take the window from your explanation of payment or ask Kaiser in writing.

The Kaiser Permanente appeal form and where to mail it

Each region picks its own Kaiser appeal form. Northern and Southern California use the Provider Dispute Resolution Request (PDRR) form, and Southern California also takes a written dispute in any format. Mid-Atlantic's differs. It's the Provider Payment Dispute Resolution Submission Form.

The Kaiser Permanente appeal mailing address changes by region too. In Northern California, disputes go to National Claims Administration, Provider Dispute Services Unit, PO Box 12923 in Oakland. Southern California uses PO Box 7006 in Downey, which isn't its claims box. Both also accept disputes in Online Affiliate.

Medicare Advantage and non-contracted reconsiderations

Non-contracted Medicare Advantage claims follow federal timing. Under 42 CFR 422.582, you'll have 60 calendar days after receiving the decision to request reconsideration. The rule presumes receipt five days after the notice date. Colorado and Washington also require a signed Waiver of Liability. Without it, Colorado dismisses the request.

Kaiser's National Section 6, in its National Transplant Network manual, gives 60 days from the explanation of payment to request reconsideration in writing. It's the window for claims in that network. With two documents in play, work to the earlier date. Ask Kaiser in writing which one governs.

Tracking a dispute to the end

Log each dispute date beside the claim's Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit. They start on different days. Northern California acknowledges an online dispute within two business days and resolves a complete one within 45 business days. If there's no letter by then, follow up on unpaid claims by phone.

Emergency, out-of-network, and non-contracted Kaiser claims

Your contract status moves the provider limit. Emergency care doesn't, in the manuals we checked. The 180 days some search answers give for emergency claims matches a Mid-Atlantic member page for itemized bills. That member window runs on a separate clock from yours.

How long do out-of-network providers have to file a Kaiser claim?

In California, Kaiser used 180 days for non-contracted commercial claims, the floor 28 CCR 1300.71 sets. Kaiser's Change Healthcare FAQ then extended that to 365 days for Change Healthcare users. The same FAQ says markets outside California already had 365, and its Washington answer covers contracted and non-contracted providers alike.

That FAQ shows a date of April 4, 2024, and lists no end date. Don't count on 365 until Kaiser confirms it. We didn't find a separate filing limit for non-contracted Medicare Advantage claims in any document we read. Get that one in writing. Note who confirmed it and when.

Non-contracted Medicare Advantage providers need one extra form. Kaiser's claims pages for Northern California, Georgia, and Oregon and Washington each post a Waiver of Liability Statement form. You'll file it with an appeal. Under the federal rule, you'll have 60 days after receiving the decision to file that appeal.

Agreements for a single patient set their own clock

A single case agreement or letter of agreement can set the Kaiser timely filing limit for that patient. Mid-Atlantic's manual says as much. Its Medicare Advantage limit applies unless a contract or letter of agreement differs. Our guide to single case agreements covers the filing clause you'll want in writing.

Emergency care follows the provider limit

The Northern California and Northwest manuals set no separate emergency limit. For contracted Northern California providers, the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit of 365 days applies, or longer under your agreement. A member who paid you has a different clock. Their window isn't your timely filing limit.

California's rule also says when an emergency count starts. Under 28 CCR 1300.71, it's the date you delivered the service for outpatient and emergency care. An inpatient count starts at discharge. That matches Kaiser's own wording, "date of service or date of discharge."

Because contract status changes your deadline, enrollment decisions are filing decisions. If you're adding payers or weighing a Kaiser contract, our provider credentialing services team files the applications and reviews contracts before you sign. Credentialing starts at $99 per insurance credential.

Kaiser member claim windows are a separate clock

Kaiser's member pages give members 90 days to 12 months to send their own claims. Kaiser writes those pages for patients. None of the member pages we read states the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit for providers.

What three member pages say

All three pages count from the date the member received care, and each gives emergency bills the same window.

Table 9. Member claim windows on three Kaiser member pages

These windows can run longer or shorter than yours. Hawaii shows why. Its Added Choice page gives members 90 days, while Hawaii's provider claims page states no limit at all. Don't borrow a member number for your own claim, even when it's longer.

Four other member pages we read use 180 days, and you'll find Colorado's Choice PPO and Georgia's Added Choice among them. The longer ones are KP Plus in Georgia and the Northwest, at 12 months. Hawaii's HMO Flex page says 365.

When a member files the claim

Kaiser's KP Plus page for California says members won't need to file a claim when they see a Kaiser Permanente plan provider. Member claims start elsewhere. They often trace to an emergency or a visit on a plan's out-of-network tier.

If a member paid you, they'll need an itemized bill with the date of care, codes, and charges. Send it the same week. The member's claim runs on the member's window. Any claim you file for the same visit still runs on the provider limit for your region.

Where to send Kaiser claims: addresses, payer IDs, and status

Send each claim to the region that holds the member's coverage. Kaiser's rule is that claims go "according to where the membership is held, not where the provider is practicing." The Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit keeps running while a claim sits at the wrong address.

How to file a claim with Kaiser Permanente

Five steps cover most first submissions.

1. Read the region and product off the member's ID card, where Kaiser prints claim details.
2. Send an 837P for professional services or an 837I for facilities through a clearinghouse, using that region's payer ID.
3. On paper, use an original red CMS-1500 or a UB-04, mailed to the region's address.
4. Include the member's medical record number and your NPI on each claim.
5. Save the clearinghouse acceptance report the day it posts, in case the timely filing limit is ever questioned.

Kaiser Permanente claims address and payer ID by region

Table 10. Kaiser claims address, payer ID, and phone by region

Kaiser's pages don't agree on some ZIP+4 codes, so copy the full address from the member's card or region page. Two California details catch people. The Kaiser Northern California claims address sits in Pleasanton. Down south, the Kaiser Southern California claims address serves HMO, DHMO, and Senior Advantage members only.

Table 10 shows the Office Ally version of each Kaiser Permanente payer ID. Other clearinghouses use other IDs. Kaiser's Change Healthcare FAQ lists them by region. Per its Southern California FAQ, Kaiser won't process a claim sent under the wrong Kaiser payer ID, so you'd have to resubmit it.

The phone column shows the number each claims page lists for the region, which may be a general line. For Southern California HMO filing questions, the Kaiser claims phone number is 800-390-3510.

Kaiser claim status and portals

Online Affiliate is the Kaiser Permanente provider portal named on the California, Colorado, and Mid-Atlantic claims pages. You'll see status and payments there, and you can file disputes. Washington's manual names a different tool. It's the Claims Status Inquiry tool, and the Oregon and Washington page points to OneHealthPort.

Try the Kaiser claims guest portal. It needs no login. Kaiser's Oregon and Washington page calls it the claims guest access site, and Southern California's claims FAQ offers guest access too. You'll need specifics about the claim to check Kaiser Permanente claim status that way.

Washington's manual adds a timing rule. A paper claim may not show for a week, and once two weeks pass and you've confirmed it's missing, you can resubmit. Build that check into your claim status follow-up.

How long does Kaiser take to process claims?

Three documents give a timeline. Northern California's HMO manual says Kaiser pays within 45 business days of a complete claim unless your agreement or the law says otherwise. Mid-Atlantic's Chapter 8 says payment is "generally made within thirty (30) days," and the Northwest manual asks you to allow 30 days.

Past those marks with no remittance, check status first. Don't resubmit blind. Kaiser can deny a second copy as a duplicate. The status check matters most when Kaiser can't find the claim, because the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit is still running on it.

Routing mistakes are the easiest filing misses to prevent. Table 10 covers most of them. If wrong addresses or payer IDs keep costing you days, we'll take routing and acknowledgment checks off your desk through our claim submission services.

How the Kaiser limit compares with other payers

Kaiser's number changes with the region, so it's harder to memorize than most. Table 11 puts the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit beside Original Medicare and five other payers, from MedSole's payer guides and the Medicare rule.

Table 11. Timely filing limits for Kaiser and six other payers

What is the timely filing limit for Medicare?

Original Medicare allows one calendar year after the date of service, under 42 CFR 424.44. Our Medicare guide in Table 11 walks through the four exceptions to that year.

Medicare Advantage isn't that simple. Plans set their own limits in their contracts. Kaiser's regional documents give 365 days for Colorado's Medicare members and 12 months for Mid-Atlantic Medicare Advantage.

The UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and BCBS guides each say your contract can change the timely filing limit. Most of Kaiser's regional documents say the same thing. Humana's guide adds a warning. Those 90 days still quoted as its commercial timely filing limit belong to a product line Humana doesn't sell anymore.

Outsourcing Kaiser claims: what MedSole RCM does and what it costs

MedSole RCM bills and credentials for healthcare practices. Tracking the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit across eight regions is work you can hand to us. Our billing fee covers claim submission, payment posting, denial management, and AR recovery.

What MedSole RCM charges

MedSole RCM is a full-service revenue cycle management company for healthcare providers. Medical billing starts at 2.99% of collections, with no setup fees, software fees, hidden costs, or long-term contracts. Credentialing starts at $99 per insurance credential. Both prices are as listed on MedSole's pages on September 27, 2026.

Table 12. What each MedSole RCM service includes

In dollars, a practice that collects $40,000 in a month pays a $1,196 billing fee for that month at the 2.99% rate. Credentialing works per insurance credential instead. Five providers with three payers each need 15, and that's $1,485 at the starting price.

The fee model matters here. A percentage of collections ties our fee to what Kaiser pays. If a claim dies at its filing deadline, we don't earn a fee on it either. Ask any vendor you're comparing how its fee behaves when Kaiser denies a claim as late.

How the fee maps to the Kaiser work in this guide

Each part of the billing fee lines up with a Kaiser task this guide covers.

• Eligibility verification confirms the member's region and plan before the visit.
• Claim submission uses the region's payer ID and address and saves the acceptance report.
• Payment posting keeps each remittance with its claim, ready as proof of the first submission.
• Denial management works CO-29 denials and files disputes inside the regional window.
• AR recovery chases aging claims before they reach the region's outer limit.

What to ask any billing company about Kaiser claims

Whoever bills your Kaiser claims, us included, should have direct answers to these.

• Where do you record the member's region and plan at intake?
• How do you set and track each claim's filing due date?
• Where do you keep clearinghouse acceptance reports, and for how long?
• Who files disputes, and how do you track their windows?
• How often will I see an aging report by payer and region?

If you change billers, the new team inherits the old team's clocks. Don't let them lapse. Before the switch, ask for a list of open Kaiser claims with the date of service, region, and last action. Work anything within 30 days of its deadline in week one.

Vendor checks take time. Our guides to choosing a credentialing company and billing for small practices list the questions to ask before you sign. Smaller groups can check the private practice RCM page. It shows how we'd work at their size.

If Kaiser claims are piling up near their deadlines, bring your latest aging report and talk to a specialist. We'll show you which claims we'd work first. The call won't lock you into anything.

Kaiser Permanente timely filing FAQ

What is the timely filing limit for Kaiser Permanente claims?

It depends on the region and plan, and your contract can change it. Most first claims fall at 90, 180, or 365 days from the date of service, or from discharge where that applies.

Kaiser's 2025 Northern California manual requests 90 days and requires 365. Southern California, Georgia, and Colorado commercial claims use 90 days, and Mid-Atlantic non-Medicare claims get 180. Northwest new claims and Washington commercial claims use 365, and Northwest self-funded claims get 120. You'll find each source in Table 1.

What's the timely filing limit for Kaiser Permanente claims in Southern California?

Ninety days after the date of service or discharge, unless your agreement sets a different period or the law requires one. The 2026 Southern California manual says so for contracted institutional providers, and Kaiser's 2021 claims disclosure uses 90 days for contracted providers too.

Non-contracted providers are a different case. For them, the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit in California was 180 days, the state floor. Kaiser's April 2024 FAQ extended commercial claims to 365 for providers who used Change Healthcare. Don't assume that still holds.

Does Kaiser Permanente have a filing deadline?

Yes. Seven of the eight Kaiser regions we reviewed set one. Hawaii's provider claims page states none, and we couldn't open its 2026 manual. Kaiser sets the deadline by region and plan, and your agreement can extend it in several regions.

In places, Kaiser asks for faster filing than it requires. Northern California requests 90 days while allowing 365. Colorado's claims page asks for charges "concurrently, but no later than 90 days from the date of service." Don't wait for the outer limit.

How do I file a claim with Kaiser?

Route it to the region that holds the member's coverage. Send an 837P or 837I through a clearinghouse with that region's payer ID, or file on paper with an original red CMS-1500 or a UB-04. Include the member's medical record number and your NPI.

Table 10 lists each region's mailing address, payer ID, and phone number. Save the clearinghouse acceptance report the day it posts. If the claim goes missing, it's your proof that the first submission reached Kaiser on time.

Does a corrected claim get a new Kaiser timely filing limit?

In some regions, yes. Kaiser's 2026 institutional manual gives corrected claims 90 calendar days in Colorado and 365 in Georgia, Hawaii, the Mid-Atlantic States, and the Northwest. Both run from the original remittance advice. The same manual keeps California corrected claims on the original claim's limit.

Colorado's 2024 manual says 90 business days instead, which lands weeks later on the calendar, and we couldn't tell which rule Kaiser applies today. Use the earlier date. Mark the claim with frequency code 7 and the original claim number.

Does Kaiser count calendar days or business days?

Calendar days, for first claims in the provider documents we read. Colorado's 2024 manual is the exception we found, because it counts business days for corrected claims and for reconsideration requests. No rule we found moves a deadline off a weekend or holiday.

If a document says only "days," count calendar days, because that's the safer reading and none of the documents defines the word. Mark each deadline the day the claim goes out. A weekend deadline doesn't move.

How long do I have to dispute a Kaiser timely filing denial?

It depends on the region. Northern California, Southern California, and the Northwest allow 365 days, the Mid-Atlantic States allow 180, and Colorado allows 90 calendar days. Washington gives 24 months for commercial provider liability denials and for contracted providers on Medicare claims. Table 8 has the start date for each.

Your dispute has to show the claim met the Kaiser Permanente timely filing limit the first time. Handwritten or typed notes won't do. Attach system-generated proof, as Northern California's manual asks. Non-contracted Medicare Advantage providers get 60 days under the federal rule and need a Waiver of Liability.

What is the timely filing limit for insurance claims in 2026?

There isn't one number. Original Medicare allows one calendar year after the date of service under 42 CFR 424.44. Commercial payers set their own, and the payer guides we keep show 90 to 365 days. Kaiser uses 90 to 365 days by region and plan.

Your contract can set a different timely filing limit with any payer, so read it first. Table 11 compares Kaiser with Medicare and five other payers. Each row links to a guide.

Does CMS-0057-F change filing deadlines in 2026?

No. The CMS-0057-F fact sheet covers prior authorization decisions: 72 hours for expedited requests and seven calendar days for standard ones, starting January 1, 2026. It doesn't address claim filing deadlines at all.

The rule covers Medicare Advantage organizations, which include Kaiser's Medicare Advantage plans, along with Medicaid and CHIP payers. A claim waiting on an authorization still sits on the filing clock. If authorizations are holding up claims, our prior authorization services can take that work.

Can a billing company manage Kaiser claims for my practice?

Yes. An outside biller can submit Kaiser claims, track each region's timely filing limit, keep the acceptance reports, and file disputes inside the regional windows. Ask any vendor how it records the member's region at intake, because each Kaiser deadline depends on it.

MedSole RCM's medical billing starts at 2.99% of collections, with no setup fees, software fees, hidden costs, or long-term contracts. Credentialing starts at $99 per insurance credential. You'll find both prices on MedSole's pages as of September 27, 2026.