---
title: "Why Did I Receive an Eligibility Error for a Failed Connection or Timeout?"
slug: "why-did-i-receive-an-eligibility-error-for-a-failed-connection-or-timeout"
updated: 2025-10-21T19:39:52Z
published: 2025-10-21T19:39:52Z
canonical: "docs.claim.md/why-did-i-receive-an-eligibility-error-for-a-failed-connection-or-timeout"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.claim.md/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why Did I Receive an Eligibility Error for a Failed Connection or Timeout?

**Q: What does this error mean?** This error indicates that a connection to the payer’s eligibility system failed or timed out while trying to retrieve patient benefits.

**Q: Why does this happen?** It typically occurs when the payer’s eligibility system is temporarily unavailable or not responding within the expected time frame. This is usually a temporary issue on the payer’s side.

**Q: How should I resolve this error?** Wait and retry the eligibility inquiry later the same day or within 24 hours. Once the connection issue is resolved, the request should process successfully.

**Q: Is this caused by a Claim.MD issue?** No. The issue is with the payer’s system availability or response time, not with Claim.MD.