Insurance Appeal

Also called: Claim Appeal, Grievance

In plain English

The formal process of asking your insurance company to reconsider a denied claim. You have the legal right to appeal any denial. There are typically two levels of internal appeal, followed by an external review by an independent third party.

Real-world example

Insurance denies your physical therapy visits as 'not medically necessary.' You file an internal appeal with a letter from your doctor explaining why the therapy is needed. If denied again, you can request an external review by an independent reviewer.

Why this matters for your bill

About 50% of internal appeals are successful, and external reviews overturn denials even more often. Most people never appeal because the process seems daunting — but it's your legal right and it works more often than you'd expect.

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