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Healthcare Guides

Free guides to help you take the next step

Practical guides on denials, bills, surprise bill disputes, and prior authorization.

How to Appeal an Insurance Denial

Step-by-step guide (2026)

Insurers denied 20% of 2024 ACA claims — a 9-year high — but only 0.2% were ever appealed. 77% of those denials were not primarily medical-necessity decisions. Step-by-step guide to ACA and ERISA protections, the internal-to-external appeal process, and what to include in your letter.

12 min read

How to Dispute a Surprise Medical Bill

No Surprises Act guide (2026)

Under the federal No Surprises Act, if your final bill is $400+ above the Good Faith Estimate you were given, you can file a Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution (PPDR) with the federal government. The federal IDR portal received 1.2M disputes in H1 2025 — doubled year over year (Georgetown CHIR, 2025). Step-by-step PPDR filing guide with deadlines and what to submit.

10 min read

How to Appeal a Prior Authorization Denial

Step-by-step guide (2026)

Prior authorization denied? Complete walkthrough of peer-to-peer review, formal internal appeals, and independent external review — with the medical-necessity evidence plans often ask for.

11 min read

How to Find and Fix Medical Bill Errors

Complete guide (2026)

Many medical bills contain errors. Learn how to spot common issues and dispute overcharges step by step.

10 min read

What to Do When Your Medical Bill Is Too High

Step-by-step guide (2026)

Up to 80% of medical bills contain errors. Learn how to check for errors, compare fair prices, negotiate directly with providers, apply for charity care, and set up interest-free payment plans.

14 min read

Medical Debt in Collections?

Your rights and next steps (2026)

Know your rights under the FDCPA, validate the debt, check for charity care eligibility, understand the 2023 credit report changes, and challenge unfair collection practices.

15 min read

How to Read Your EOB

Plain English guide (2026)

Your Explanation of Benefits is not a bill. Learn what each section means, decode confusing terms like "allowed amount" and "coinsurance," and know when something looks wrong.

10 min read

Questions to Ask Before Any Medical Procedure

Avoid surprise bills (2026)

A 20-minute phone call before your procedure can save you thousands. Coverage verification, prior authorization, cost estimates, in-network checks, and your rights under the No Surprises Act.

12 min read

What to Do When Prior Authorization Is Denied

Review your options step by step (2026)

A prior authorization denial does not mean you cannot get the treatment your doctor ordered. Learn your options for peer-to-peer review, formal appeals, and external review.

7 min read

Your Rights When Insurance Denies Your Claim

Know the law (2026)

Federal and state laws give you specific, enforceable rights to challenge insurance denials. Learn what the ACA, ERISA, and the No Surprises Act guarantee you.

7 min read

Appeal a Medicare Advantage Denial

Appeal options and evidence checklist (2026)

Medicare Advantage plans denied 4.1M prior-auth requests in 2024 — a 56% jump year over year. The CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule now forces insurers to give specific denial reasons and publish their metrics. Upload your denial; we draft the appeal with Medicare citations.

6 min read

Appeal an Ozempic / Wegovy / Mounjaro Denial

Evidence and step-therapy checklist (2026)

Over half of weight-management GLP-1 requests are rejected on first pass — often for step-therapy, BMI-threshold, or plan-exclusion reasons. Covers Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and every major GLP-1.

7 min read

Can’t afford care? Help before the bill

Real programs most people don’t know (2026)

One in three Americans skipped care last year because of cost. Sliding-scale clinics (FQHCs), hospital charity care (§501(r)), prescription assistance (NeedyMeds, RxAssist, 340B), and ACA subsidies can cut or eliminate your bill — most require nothing but an application.

8 min read

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Healthcare Guides — Insurance Denials, Bills, Surprise Bills & Prior Auth | Lysco | Lysco