The Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process works on a strict clock. Miss a single deadline and you can lose your right to recover on that claim entirely. Here's every deadline in the timeline, in plain English—and how to make sure none of them slip.
Request a Free Legacy AuditThe No Surprises Act gives providers a real path to fair payment on out-of-network claims—but it's built on firm, mostly non-extendable deadlines measured in business days. Payers know the clock is tight and count on busy practices letting it run out. Understanding the timeline is the difference between recovering what you're owed and forfeiting it.
Each stage below starts a new countdown. The clock runs in business days—weekends and federal holidays don't count.
Before IDR, the law requires a 30-business-day open negotiation period. You start it by sending the payer an Open Negotiation Notice, and you must do so within 30 business days of receiving the initial payment or denial. This is your first window to settle the claim directly.
If open negotiation doesn't resolve the claim, you have just 4 business days after that 30-day period ends to formally initiate IDR. This is one of the tightest deadlines in the whole process, and it's where many valid claims quietly die.
Once IDR is initiated, both parties have 3 business days to jointly agree on a certified IDR entity (the neutral arbitrator). If you can't agree, the government assigns one.
After the IDR entity is selected, each side has 10 business days to submit its payment offer and supporting evidence. This submission is the heart of your case—the arbitrator picks one side's offer, so the quality of your evidence here decides the outcome.
The certified IDR entity must issue its binding determination within 30 business days of being selected. It's "baseball-style" arbitration: the arbitrator must choose one offer or the other, with no splitting the difference.
Once the decision is made, the losing party must pay within 30 business days. If the ruling is in your favor, this is when your practice collects.
Most IDR deadlines can't be extended. Miss the 4-business-day initiation window or the 10-business-day offer deadline, and you typically forfeit the dispute—no appeal, no second chance on that claim. Across a busy practice with dozens of eligible claims, that's real revenue walking out the door every month.
LibeCore tracks the full IDR timeline for each of your claims—filing on time, meeting every business-day deadline, and building the evidence package that wins. Learn more about our IDR Filing Service, get IDR arbitration help with no upfront cost, or start with the basics in What is IDR under the No Surprises Act?
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and federal timelines can be updated. For the current rules, see the official CMS No Surprises Act resources or contact LibeCore for help with your specific claims.