Answers / Deadlines
Federal IDR portal deadlines: the full chain
The chain runs: 30 business days from the payer's payment or denial to start open negotiation, a 30 business day negotiation window, 4 business days to file in the federal IDR portal, offers due within 10 business days of arbitrator selection, a decision within 30 business days of selection, and payment within 30 calendar days. Miss an early window and the No Surprises Act claim is gone.
The deadline chain
| Deadline | Length | Starts when |
|---|---|---|
| Start open negotiation | 30 business days | Payer's initial payment or notice of denial |
| Open negotiation window | 30 business days | Open negotiation notice is sent |
| File Notice of IDR Initiation | 4 business days | Negotiation window closes |
| Select certified IDR entity | 3 business days | Initiation filed |
| Submit offer and evidence | 10 business days | Entity selected |
| Arbitrator's decision | 30 business days | Entity selected |
| Payer pays the award | 30 calendar days | Decision issued |
Business days, not calendar days
Every window except the last one runs in business days, which means weekends and federal holidays do not count. A 30 business day window is roughly six calendar weeks, and the 4 business day initiation window is less than one calendar week. The one calendar-day deadline is payment: once the decision issues, the payer owes the award within 30 calendar days, no exceptions for weekends.
The deadline that kills the most claims
The first one. The 30 business day window to start open negotiation opens the moment the payer pays or denies the claim, which is usually weeks before anyone in the practice looks at the remittance closely enough to notice the underpayment. A claim that sits in a work queue for seven weeks is dead before anyone decides anything. The 4 business day initiation window is the next most common miss, because it arrives exactly when a negotiation has just visibly failed and attention has moved on.
Extensions and exceptions
There is a narrow exception: parties can ask CMS for an extension of certain deadlines for extenuating circumstances, and it is discretionary, not a right. For old claims, the clock runs from a compliant adjudication, so a payment or denial that never met the No Surprises Act's disclosure requirements may not have started the clock at all. That is an argument to raise before filing, not a thing to count on.
Never find out a window closed last week
Lido IDR calendars every deadline from the payer's remittance forward and files before the windows close, for a flat fee per arbitration. Talk to an IDR specialist.