Claim rejected

Claim submitted too late (stale claim)

Schemes generally require claims within a set period after the date of service — commonly four months. Anything later is declined as stale, even where the treatment itself was covered.

What to do next

Establish who was responsible for the delay. If the provider submitted late, the account is usually theirs to write off rather than yours to pay. If the scheme rejected the original claim on other grounds and re-submission caused the delay, the stale-claim rule is often incorrectly applied.

Before you accept the decision

Ask the scheme, in writing, for the exact rule or code it relied on. A reason code on a statement is not a reasoned decision.
Check whether the treatment relates to a Prescribed Minimum Benefit. Option rules and annual limits cannot lawfully be used to refuse PMB care.
Compare the ICD-10 and procedure codes on the account against your clinical notes. Coding mismatches cause a large share of rejections.
Note the scheme’s internal dispute deadline, and the deadlines for escalating to the Council for Medical Schemes.

Other rejection reasons

No pre-authorisation obtained Out-of-network or non-DSP provider used Annual benefit limit or sub-limit reached Medical savings account exhausted Not a Prescribed Minimum Benefit condition Waiting period or condition-specific exclusion applies Incorrect or missing procedure / ICD-10 code Membership not active on the date of service Chronic medicine not registered on the programme Medicine not on the scheme's formulary Charged above the scheme rate (tariff shortfall)Treatment excluded from your plan Treatment considered cosmetic or elective Duplicate claim No referral from your nominated network GP

Rejection Reversal

Have this rejection reviewed independently

Upload the rejection letter, the itemised account and the clinical notes. We test the scheme's stated reason against its own published rules and the Prescribed Minimum Benefit regulations, and produce a written review with a ready-to-send dispute pack where the rejection does not hold up.

Start a claim review

This page is provided for general information and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Medical scheme rules, benefit structures and regulations change over time — always confirm the position with your scheme’s current member material, your treating practitioner, or an attorney admitted in South Africa.

Landlodz (Pty) Ltd, trading as ClaimIQ SA
Registration No.: 2024/615543/07
ClaimIQ is a product of Landlodz (Pty) Ltd (Reg. No. 2024/615543/07).
Contact: info@claimiq.tech

ClaimIQ SA is an independent medical aid claim review and dispute service. We are not a medical scheme, a broker or a financial services provider.