Insurance Denial Appeal Kit: 10 Letter Templates, Step-by-Step Guide, Deadline Tracker
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Got a denial from your health insurance? This kit gives you the letters and the steps to appeal it yourself.
Free copies available. Medical paperwork often lands when money is already stretched. That's not your fault. If paying isn't possible right now, email thedenialdesk@gmail.com with the subject "Free kit" and tell us which kit. You don't need to explain why. Please don't include medical details, diagnoses, bills or insurance numbers. Limit one free kit per email address.
Free updates: when a rule or date changes, your download link gets the updated file.
Appeals are rare. In HealthCare.gov plans, fewer than 1% of in-network denied claims were appealed in 2024 (KFF). A written appeal is how you ask for a second look.
What you get
- Start here guide (PDF, 6 pages). Find your deadline, read your EOB, pick the right letter, and know what to say when you call.
- 10 appeal letter templates (Word, opens in Google Docs). Change the yellow parts, delete what does not apply, sign, and send.
- Appeal tracker (Excel, opens in Google Sheets). Pick your coverage type and it fills in the usual deadline and counts down the days. Includes a call log and a checklist.
The 10 letters
- Medical necessity denial
- No prior authorization
- Correct and resubmit a claim (to the provider)
- Surprise out-of-network bill
- "Not covered" or "experimental" denial
- Request for your claim file
- Request for an itemized bill
- Ask the billing office to hold your bill while you appeal
- Independent external review
- Support letter request to your doctor
Who it is for
Job-based (employer), Marketplace and other individual plans, Medicare (Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Part D) and Medicaid. The guide shows each plan type's appeal steps and deadlines. Letter 9 (independent external review) is for most job-based and individual plans, including Marketplace plans, when the denial is about medical necessity or a similar medical judgment. Plans that started before March 23, 2010 may not offer it. Medicare and Medicaid have their own steps (some states add an external review for Medicaid plans), which the guide explains.
How it works
This is an instant digital download. Nothing will be shipped.
This kit is self-serve. It doesn't include personal help with your case. For free one-on-one help, see Who will help me for free?
The guide (PDF) reads fine on a phone. The letters and tracker are easiest on a computer, or open them free in Google Docs and Sheets. You get three files you can open in Word, Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or any PDF reader. Your download link also comes by email.
Please note
These are educational templates, not legal or medical advice. Rules and deadlines vary by plan and state, so always follow the instructions on your own notices. The Denial Desk is not affiliated with any insurer or government agency. The Personal option is for you and your family. The Pro and Team options let one advocate, or one organization, use the kit with the people they serve, as described above.
Sources: Appeal rates: KFF, Claims Denials and Appeals in ACA Marketplace Plans in 2024 (March 2026).
AI disclosure: Templates were drafted with help from AI tools, then reviewed and fact-checked by our founder, a certified medical coding professional.
