| Are you having trouble getting your insurance | | | | Another problem is that too many people just give |
| company to pay your medical health costs? Join the | | | | up when their insurance claim is denied initially. The |
| club. When managed care entered the insurance | | | | appeals process can be long and frustrating and |
| scene a decade ago, its mandate was to contain | | | | many people don't have the patience or time to |
| rising medical costs. One way to do that is to deny | | | | pursue a claim no matter how legitimate. People must |
| claims, even when claims are legitimate. The | | | | be persistent and they can win. Particularly if there's |
| consumer backlash led to many states establishing | | | | substantial money involved, the time you dedicate to |
| independent review panels and requiring insurance | | | | appealing insurance company decisions can pay off |
| companies to develop in-house appeal procedures. | | | | usually more quickly than you think. A Kaiser Family |
| Forty-two states now have independent review | | | | Foundation study recently found that 52% of |
| boards whose decisions can override those of | | | | patients won their first appeal for each claim made. |
| insurance companies. Most consumers don't even | | | | The insurance companies aren't getting with out |
| realize these review boards exist. | | | | paying anymore. |