What is the deadline to submit a claim to Manitoba Health?
In Manitoba, you must submit every claim to Manitoba Health within six months of the date of the service (Manitoba Physician's Manual, page CLMST-1). Manitoba Health rejects a claim it receives later than that with reason code C2 (page CLMST-3). A corrected claim has the same deadline, but a query about how a claim was assessed or paid has six months from the date on your payment statement (pages CLMST-1 and CLMST-7). The minister may extend the deadline for extenuating circumstances if you ask in writing (page CLMST-3).
Last checked: Checked against the Manitoba Physician's Manual (April 1, 2026 edition, with the October 1, 2026 update) by Unbilled on . Not yet reviewed by a medical biller.
The deadlines
This page is about when a claim must reach Manitoba Health. Each deadline below is six months. What changes is the date it counts from.
| What you send to Manitoba Health | Deadline | Counts from | Manual page | Manual dated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A claim | 6 months | Date of the service | CLMST-1 (item 4); CLMST-2 | |
| Documents Manitoba Health asks for | 6 months | Date of the request | CLMST-1 (item 4) | |
| A corrected claim | 6 months | Date of the service | CLMST-1 (item 9) | |
| A query about how a claim was assessed or paid | 6 months | Date on the payment statement (Remittance Advice) | CLMST-1 (item 8); CLMST-7 |
When the deadline applies
- Every claim. "All claims MUST be submitted within six (6) months of the date of the service." (CLMST-1, item 4)
- The rule is in the law. The manual quotes the Medical Services Insurance Regulation 49/93, section 4(2): "a claim for the service within six months from the date on which the service was provided in the form and manner required by the minister". (CLMST-2)
- What counts is the day Manitoba Health receives the claim. "Claims received by Manitoba Health more than 6 months after the service date will be rejected with Explanation of Benefits (EOB) code “C2”." (CLMST-3) The Explanation of Benefits (EOB) code is the reason code Manitoba Health gives for a claim on your payment statement.
- Documents Manitoba Health asks for have their own clock. "When required and requested, supporting documentation must be submitted within six (6) months from the date of request." (CLMST-1, item 4)
- A corrected claim still counts from the service date. "Claims that require a correction to the initial claim must be electronically submitted with the necessary corrections noted in the EOB within six months from the date of the service. A query should not be submitted for claims that require a correction." (CLMST-1, item 9)
- A query is different. If you disagree with how a claim was assessed or paid, you may query it "within six months of the date on the Remittance Advice." (CLMST-1, item 8; CLMST-7) The Remittance Advice is the payment statement from Manitoba Health, with the reason code for each claim.
- The manual asks for frequent claims: "All physicians are encouraged to submit claims on a weekly basis or at more frequent intervals to avoid late claim submissions." (CLMST-1, item 3)
When the deadline can be extended
- Extenuating circumstances. "The minister may extend the time referred to in subsection (2) if in the minister’s opinion there are extenuating circumstances that prevented the filing of the claim within the six month period." (CLMST-3, quoting the regulation, section 4(3))
- You have to ask. The request must be "in writing" and "include detailed information regarding the extenuating circumstance that prevented the submission of the claim". The manual addresses it to: Director, Insured Benefits, Insurance Division, Manitoba Health, 3rd Floor, 300 Carlton Street, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3M9. (CLMST-3)
Worked example
You see a patient for a visit on March 10, 2026. In August, your clinic finds that the claim never went out.
- Sent in the first week of August: inside six months of March 10. Manitoba Health processes it as usual.
- Sent in mid-September: received more than six months after March 10. It comes back with reason code C2.
A second visit is on February 2, 2026. The claim is rejected on a May payment statement because the health number was wrong. The corrected claim has to reach Manitoba Health within six months of February 2, the service date. Send the correction when you see the rejection. Six months from the May statement would run into November, and by then the claim is late.
What is often not billed
A visit you provided but never claimed can still go in as a new claim, as long as Manitoba Health receives it within six months of the date of the service (CLMST-1, item 4). After that it is rejected with code C2, unless an extension is granted for extenuating circumstances (CLMST-3). The six months count from the date of the service, not from the day you find the visit. This is payment for care you already provided. Look for unclaimed visits every few months.
Source
Manitoba Physician's Manual, April 1, 2026 edition (with the October 1, 2026 update), Claims Submission and Payment Procedures, pages CLMST-1, CLMST-2, CLMST-3 and CLMST-7. Medical Services Insurance Regulation 49/93, sections 4(2) and 4(3), as quoted on pages CLMST-2 and CLMST-3. Manitoba Health publishes the manual at gov.mb.ca/health/manual.
Last checked: Checked against the Manitoba Physician's Manual (April 1, 2026 edition, with the October 1, 2026 update) by Unbilled on . Not yet reviewed by a medical biller.
Unbilled is not Manitoba Health or Doctors Manitoba. This page is general information, not a ruling on any claim. Manitoba Health decides what is payable. Check the current manual before you bill.
To report an error on this page, email hello@unbilled.ca.
Unbilled reads your notes against the fee schedule and finds care you provided but did not bill.
Book an audit