From a confusing letter to a packet you send yourself

The walkthrough, step by step

The sample screens use one made-up case: an MRI of the lower back that an employer plan denied as "not medically necessary".

1. 1
   FreeNo account needed

   Step 1: Decode your letter

   Upload your denial letter or EOB (the Explanation of Benefits your plan sends), or take a photo of it. We explain, in plain English, why the claim was denied, what the codes mean, which kind of plan you have, your deadline and your next step.

   • No ad trackers
   • Nothing goes to your plan or your doctor
   • Free help for your plan type, in every result

   Your denial, decodedRead

   • Reason: not medically necessary (code 50)
   • Plan: employer plan, self-funded
   • Deadline: March 14, 2027
   • Next step: ask for your claim file

   You have time

   140 days left to file your internal appeal.

2. 2
   Free

   Step 2: Create an account and give consent

   To go further, create an account with your email. You sign in with a 6-digit code we email you, so there is no password to remember.

   Before we use the health information in your documents for a case, we ask for your consent, separately from the terms. You can withdraw it at any time.

   • Marketing email is off unless you turn it on
   • Delete a case or your whole account at any time

   Before we read your documents

   I agree that AppealHaven may use the health information in my documents to prepare my case.Required for a case. Separate from the terms. You can withdraw it any time.

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   Product news by emailOff unless you turn it on

3. 3
   Free

   Step 3: Upload your documents

   Add the denial letter, the EOB, and anything else you have: the itemized bill if you want the audit, and your plan documents if they are handy. PDFs and phone photos both work.

   We show you everything we read. If we got something wrong, you fix it before anything is built on it.

   • Denial letter

     PDF, 2 pages
     Read
   • Explanation of Benefits

     2 photos (JPG)
     Read
   • Itemized bill

     Photo, uploading
     60%

4. 4
   Free

   Step 4: Confirm your plan type and deadline

   Your plan type decides which appeal rules apply and how long you have. We fill it in from your letter and show the rule we used, with a link to it. You check it and confirm. If you change the date on the letter, the deadline updates.

   • Your full appeal route, step by step
   • Your plan documents can give you more time, never less

   Which rules apply to each plan type

   Employer plan, self-funded (ERISA)From your letter

   140days left

   Internal appeal deadline

   Sunday, March 14, 2027. Send by Friday, March 12, the last working day before it.

5. 5
   $49 or $79, one time

   Step 5: Pay once, if you want the packet

   Only now, after you have seen your route and deadline, do you decide whether to pay. Payment is one time, by card, through Stripe. There is no subscription and no share of anything you save.

   • Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid: we stop here and point you to free help. You are never asked to pay.

   Two options

   $49Appeal case

   $79Appeal + bill audit

   • Add the bill audit later for $30
   • Refund if the packet is incomplete or a deadline we worked out is wrong

   Full pricing

6. 6
   Included

   Step 6: Gather evidence and send request letters

   We build a checklist for your denial reason: what you already have, and what to ask for. For a "not medically necessary" denial like the sample, that means your claim file, the criteria the plan used, and a letter from your doctor. We draft each request letter for you to send.

   Only your doctor can say a treatment is medically necessary. We draft the request; your doctor writes the letter.

   Employer plans under ERISA must give you free copies of the documents relevant to your claim: 29 CFR 2560.503-1(h)(2)(iii). Read the rule

   • Denial letter and EOB

     Uploaded
   • Claim file and the plan's criteria

     Request letter ready for Example Health Plan
     To send
   • Letter of medical necessity

     Request letter ready for Dr. [Doctor's name]
     To do

7. 7
   Included

   Step 7: Review and edit your packet

   Your appeal letter follows the route for your plan type and cites your claim details. Every sentence is yours to change. Details we filled in from your documents are marked, and before you download we point out anything still missing.

   1 thing to fill in

   Example Health Plan, Attention: Appeals
   Add the appeals address from your denial letter

   Re: Appeal of claim EX-0000-4471, member ID EXM-000-112-233

   I am writing to appeal the denial dated September 15, 2026 of my MRI of the lower back on August 20, 2026.

8. 8
   In the $79 optionOr add for $30

   Step 8: Check the bill, if you want to

   If you also have a bill, we compare the itemized bill with the EOB your plan sent for it, line by line. We flag possible duplicates, charges that are not on your EOB, and bills that may break the No Surprises Act. Then we draft the dispute letters and check whether the hospital's financial assistance program might apply.

   Bill audit2 lines to question

   Total billed

   $5,015.00

   EOB says you may owe

   $350.00

   Possible duplicate

   $1,450.00

   Not on your EOB

   $425.00

   Amount to question

   $1,875.00

9. 9
   Included

   Step 9: Download one PDF and send it yourself

   Everything comes in one PDF, in order. For UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna we show where and how to send it. For other plans, use the address or form named in your denial letter.

   You send it the way your letter says: by mail, fax or the plan's online form. Keep a copy, and note the date you sent it.

   In your PDF

   • A cover sheet with your claim details
   • Your appeal letter
   • Your request letters
   • A list of the evidence to attach

   Alongside it

   • Where to send it, for UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna
   • A calendar file with your deadlines
10. 10
    Included

    Step 10: Reminders, and the next step if the plan says no

    If you turn reminders on, we email you 30, 14 and 3 days before your deadline, and you can add every date to your own calendar. When you hear back, tell us what the plan decided.

    If the plan says no again, your case shows the next step, usually an external review by an independent reviewer, with how to ask for it and by when. For self-funded employer plans, the step after that is court. You may want a lawyer for this step; legal aid can help.

    1. Packet downloaded
       October 25, 2026
    2. Reminder: 30 days left
       February 12, 2027
    3. Reminder: 14 days left
       February 28, 2027
    4. Reminder: 3 days left
       March 11, 2027
    5. Internal appeal deadline
       March 14, 2027

    Add to my calendar