What are my chances of winning a coverage denial dispute?

If you've ever fought to reverse a health insurance claim denial in the past, you know that you'll need persistence, patience, frustration-coping ability, persistence, and attention to detail. And persistence. Mix all those with another healthy dose of persistence, and there's a better-than-not chance that you'll shake those dollars out of your insurer.

A study by the Rand Corporation, an esteemed nonprofit research group, found that patients who appealed denied insurance claims were successful in getting their cash in far more than half the cases—and in more than 90% of the denials involving emergency care! It's amazing that only a small fraction of patients appeal denied claims.

Clearly insurance companies intimidate many people into accepting a NO, and they're good at that, but for the smart patient who persists, insurance companies often eventually fold like a lousy poker hand.