Appeals2026-07-23•4 min read
"Not Medically Necessary" Is Not a Medical Opinion
If your claim came back stamped "not medically necessary," it is easy to read those three words as a verdict. That is almost never what happened.
Read full article→Ask Ellen
Real answers to the questions patients actually ask about insurance and denials.
Billing2026-07-15•6 min read
You Shouldn't Have to Leave the Country to Be Charged a Fair Price
There's a quiet decision millions of Americans make every year that says something loud about the system they live inside — and it's really a story about your bill.
Read full article→Health Tech2026-07-12•3 min read
The AI Art Company Just Unveiled a "Spa Pool" Body Scanner
File this under 'did not have it on the 2026 card.' Midjourney — yes, the AI-art company — just unveiled a medical scanner. And it looks like a spa. Here's why we're hopeful about it, even this early.
Read full article→Appeals2026-07-11•4 min read
The Clock Starts the Day You're Denied: What Every Insurance Appeal Deadline Actually Means
You open the letter, you read the word 'denied,' and the paperwork goes in a drawer. That drawer is where most appeals go to die — not because the denial was correct, but because the deadline quietly passed.
Read full article→FDA News2026-07-09•3 min read
A Cure for Sickle Cell Exists. Getting It Is the Hard Part.
The first CRISPR therapy was approved more than two years ago. In all of 2025, just over a hundred people began treatment. Here is why — and what it tells you about how access really works.
Read full article→Your Rights2026-07-09•3 min read
The Name on Your Insurance Card May Not Be Your Insurer
Most people with job-based coverage assume the company on their card pays their claims. For about two-thirds of workers, that is not how it works — and the difference changes how you fight a denial.
Read full article→Appeals2026-07-09•4 min read
Your Claim Was Denied in Seconds. Did Anyone Actually Read It?
Insurers are using algorithms to deny care faster than a human could possibly review it. Here is what the records show — and why a denial is still not the end of the story.
Read full article→Medicare2026-07-09•4 min read
Medicare Spent Years Avoiding This. Now It's Testing It on You.
For the first time, traditional Medicare is requiring prior authorization for certain procedures in six states — and letting artificial intelligence help decide. The early reports from patients and doctors are not reassuring. Here is what…
Read full article→Your Rights2026-07-09•4 min read
The Law That Protects You From Surprise Bills Just Got Rewired. Here Is What Still Has Your Back.
Federal officials just overhauled the machinery behind the No Surprises Act. Almost none of it is something you will ever touch — which is the perfect moment to understand the protection that is quietly working on your behalf.
Read full article→Medicare2026-07-09•4 min read
A Federal Watchdog Looked at Nursing-Home Denials. When Patients Pushed Back, Insurers Reversed Themselves 95% of the Time.
A new report from the government's own inspector general examined how often Medicare Advantage plans deny short-term nursing care after a hospital stay — and how often those denials fall apart the moment someone appeals. The number is hard…
Read full article→Appeals2026-04-15•6 min read
The 72-Hour Rule: How Long Your Insurance Has to Respond to Urgent Appeals
Federal law requires health insurers to respond to urgent prior authorization appeals within 72 hours. When your medication is denied and you have a medical emergency or urgent need, this rule can be the difference between getting treatment and waiting weeks.
Read full article→Privacy2026-04-15•8 min read
Federal Health Data Security Rules: What Happens When Your Medical Information Is Breached
Health data breaches affect millions of Americans each year. When your medical information is compromised, federal and state laws provide specific protections and notification rights that many patients do not know about.
Read full article→Showing 12 of 116 posts
Want insights delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter