By Barby Ingle, PNN columnist

Most pain patients rely on their healthcare providers to appeal insurance company denial of care decisions for them. Some providers are now charging fees to do the appeal paperwork for a patient.

I have found that when I handled the appeal myself, I am often able to get coverage for what I needed and in a timelier manner. I get that this is a daunting process. Many insurers seem to deny coverage and then wait for the appeal. Only about 20% of us follow through on the appeals for a variety of reasons. But it can be done.

At the end of this article is a sample of the letter I send to my insurance company when I run into a situation where the prior authorization has either taken too long (more than a few days) or has been denied.

I start by including copies of my medical records that pertain to why I need a procedure, durable medical equipment or medication. I have kept all of my medical records going back to 2002 in 3-inch binders. I now have 10 binders full, and have them organized by provider and date of service. Keeping good medical records is key to filing an appeal, so you don’t have to start from scratch.  

It can be very helpful if you also attach 3-5 clinical studies that show the effectiveness of what you are requesting working for others with your condition. Try to use studies completed within the past 5 years and with an N of at least 500 (number of participants). Two places where you can look up studies are ClinicalTrials.gov and MediFind.

I know that finding a study can be quite tough for those with ultra-rare and rare medical conditions. If you fall into that category, mention in your letter that the treatment may still be worth a shot and save you from future medical bills and procedures – and help the insurance company as well.

Here’s a sample letter to use when appealing:

Date

Name

Insurance Company Name

Address

City, State ZIP

Re: Patient's Name, Type of Coverage, Group number/Policy number

Dear (contact person at insurance company),

Please accept this letter as my appeal to (insurer’s name) decision to deny coverage for (state the name of the specific procedure denied). It is my understanding based on your letter of denial dated (insert date) that this procedure has been denied because:

(Quote the specific reason for the denial stated in denial letter)

I was diagnosed with (disease) on (date). Currently Dr. (name) believes that I will significantly benefit from (state procedure name). Please see the enclosed letter from Dr. (name) that discusses my medical history in more detail.

I believe that I am attaching additional information that you did not have at the time of your initial review. I have also included with this letter, a letter from Dr. (name) from (name of treating facility). Dr. (name) is a specialist in (name of specialty). (His/her) letter discusses the procedure in more detail. Also included are additional medical records and several journal articles explaining the procedure and the expected results.

Based on this information, I am asking that you reconsider your previous decision and allow coverage for the procedure Dr. (name) outlines in his letter. The treatment is scheduled to begin on (date). Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (phone number). I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Your name

I want you to have more concrete chances to get the care you need covered. I know that it will take work and won’t always be easy. It will take energy, which most of us already have challenges with.

I like to think about my future when I am in the middle of the appeal process. What would getting this insurance coverage mean to me? More life? A better life? Then it is worth it for me.  

Barby Ingle lives with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), migralepsy and endometriosis. Barby is a chronic pain educator, patient advocate, and president of the International Pain Foundation. She is also a motivational speaker and best-selling author on pain topics. More information about Barby can be found at her website.