Plain-English guides to medical bills
Short, practical guides for people with Medicare and the families who help them.
How to Appeal a Medicare Denial, Step by Step
A step-by-step guide to appealing an Original Medicare denial: what to check first, how to file a redetermination, deadlines, and the next levels.
Medicare Advantage Appeals: Deadlines and What to Say
Medicare Advantage appeal deadlines, how long your plan has to decide, when to ask for a fast appeal, and sample wording for your appeal letter.
Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization: What It Is and What to Do When Care Is Denied
How prior authorization works in Medicare Advantage, the 2026 decision timeframes, and the steps to take if your plan denies a test, treatment, or stay.
IRMAA: Why Your Medicare Premium Is Higher and How to Ask for a Lower Amount
What IRMAA is, the 2026 income brackets for Part B and Part D, and how to ask Social Security to lower it after a life-changing event like retirement.
Part D Formulary Exceptions: How to Ask Your Plan to Cover a Drug
How to ask your Medicare drug plan for a formulary, tier, prior authorization, or step therapy exception, what your doctor must send, and how appeals work.