Georgia Timely Filing for Therapists: 5 Easy Deadlines

Georgia timely filing for therapists means getting every claim to the payer inside that payer’s filing window. Miss the window and the claim is usually denied for good. Each payer sets its own clock, so this guide lists the clocks we could verify and shows how to build a safety margin.

Georgia timely filing for therapists: the deadlines by payer

There is no single Georgia deadline for all payers. The table shows what the sources we opened say. Treat the shortest as your working rule.

Payer	Window in the source
Georgia Medicaid, psychotherapy manual	Six months from the date of service
Amerigroup Georgia Medicaid policy	Six months following the month of service
CareSource Georgia Medicaid manual	Six months from the month of service; another section of the manual says 180 days
Original Medicare	12 months from the date of service, unless an exception applies
Commercial plans	Set by your contract with each plan

Medicare and Medicaid

The Georgia Medicaid psychotherapy manual (October 2024) says providers have six months from the date of service. The Amerigroup policy, last approved June 3, 2025, says six months following the month of service. Those two readings differ by up to a month, so file as if the earlier one applies. Medicare.gov states claims must be filed no later than 12 months from the service date, unless an exception applies.

Private payers

Commercial deadlines come from your contract and the payer’s provider manual, so pull the number for each plan you bill. Do not assume a Medicaid or Medicare window applies. If you bill out of network, ask whether the payer applies a filing limit to those claims too. Our payer contract compliance checklist shows what to track.

State rules

Georgia’s prompt-pay law, O.C.G.A. 33-24-59.5, runs the other direction: it limits how long an insurer has to pay or explain a claim. In the older text we checked, that is 15 working days for electronic claims and 30 calendar days for paper claims. It does not extend your filing window.

What stops the clock and what does not

For Georgia timely filing for therapists, filing means the payer received a claim, not that you sent it. A rejection from your clearinghouse is not a filing. Keep the acceptance report that shows the payer took the claim, with its date. That record is your proof if a payer says it never arrived.

Medicaid is also the payer of last resort. The Part I manual says Medicaid providers must pursue other health benefit resources before they file a claim. If a member has other coverage, bill that plan first, then Medicaid, and keep both dates. Our eligibility verification guide shows how to catch other coverage early.

Corrected claims and Georgia timely filing for therapists

The CareSource manual gives corrected claims six months from the month of service or 90 days from the denial date, and also states 180 days elsewhere. Do not wait on a corrected claim. Read the denial, fix it and resubmit quickly. Learn to read CARC and RARC codes so you know whether to correct, appeal or write off.

How long do you have to file a claim in Georgia?

For Georgia Medicaid, the sources we checked say six months, counted from the date of service or the month of service depending on the plan. Medicare allows 12 months. Commercial plans follow their contracts. For Georgia timely filing for therapists, send claims within days of the visit rather than near the deadline.

What to do Monday morning

Build Georgia timely filing for therapists into your weekly routine.

1. List each payer and write its filing window in your billing notes, with the contract page or manual section.
2. Run an aging report and flag every unpaid claim older than 60 days.
3. Check that each flagged claim has a payer acceptance report on file.
4. Resubmit or appeal anything near its limit. The electronic remittance advice shows what the payer did with it.
5. Track your clean claim rate; fewer rejections means fewer late claims.

The short version: Georgia timely filing for therapists

Georgia timely filing for therapists depends on the payer: six months for Georgia Medicaid in the sources we checked, 12 months for Original Medicare and whatever your contract says for commercial plans. File early and keep proof the payer received the claim.

How MCM South helps

MCM South Medical Billing Service, LLC bills exclusively for mental and behavioral health. We work with psychotherapists and psychiatrists in solo and medium-size practices, and we bill out-of-network claims for clients. We track filing windows and follow up on unpaid claims so deadlines do not slip.

Ready to hand off the billing side? We can talk through your practice.

Get a Free Quote

FAQ

Where MCM South works

MCM South Medical Billing Service, LLC works with psychotherapists and psychiatrists in our ten currently served states: Georgia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, Florida, New York, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina and Illinois. We serve solo and medium-size practices that bill mental and behavioral health. Founder Michael Williams has worked with insurance payers in all 50 states. Browse the state and regional billing guides for rules that vary by state, or see our billing services.

This post is operational guidance for billing, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with the payer or your counsel.