Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why most people stop too early
Each level has its own form, deadline, and reviewer, and independent reviewers overturn a meaningful share of denials. The tracker keeps the levels, dates, and documents in one place.
Deadlines are strict — usually counted from the notice — so diarizing the dates matters more than perfect wording.
The protocol
- Write the denial history: what was denied, when, and at which level.
- Note the deadline for the next level from the notice itself.
- Assemble one evidence pack — clinician letter, records, criteria — that works at every level.
- File the next level and record the submission date and reference.
- Track each level's outcome and the date the next window opens.
What the tool does
Build a Medicare appeal-level tracker It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a preparation aid, not medical, legal or insurance advice. It cannot force a payer to pay, guarantee an appeal outcome, or tell you which care is right for you.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Rule status (mixed route): Status, 2026-10-03: Medicare Advantage reconsideration, independent review, and the levels above them are in force; deadlines run from the notice, and HHS OIG's audit found most appealed prior-authorisation denials were overturned.
Automated decision this documents: Medicare Advantage coverage determination and appeal review
Free path, in order (no cost):
- Your State Health Insurance Assistance Programme (SHIP) — free, trained, and independent
- Medicare's own claims and appeals guidance and forms
- LawHelp.org for free legal aid on a benefits appeal
What this cannot do: It cannot force a payer to pay, guarantee an appeal outcome, or tell you which care is right for you.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Buy yourself time by filing on the deadline even with an incomplete pack, and call your State Health Insurance Assistance Programme; their help is free and they file these routinely.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is insurance-and-medical-costs; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.