this post was submitted on 08 May 2026
234 points (97.2% liked)

You Should Know

46404 readers
68 users here now

YSK - for all the things that can make your life easier!

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must begin with YSK.

All posts must begin with YSK. If you're a Mastodon user, then include YSK after @youshouldknow. This is a community to share tips and tricks that will help you improve your life.



Rule 2- Your post body text must include the reason "Why" YSK:

**In your post's text body, you must include the reason "Why" YSK: It’s helpful for readability, and informs readers about the importance of the content. **



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Posts and comments which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding non-YSK posts.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-YSK posts using the [META] tag on your post title.



Rule 7- You can't harass or disturb other members.

If you harass or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

If you are a member, sympathizer or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.

For further explanation, clarification and feedback about this rule, you may follow this link.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- The majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.

Unless included in our Whitelist for Bots, your bot will not be allowed to participate in this community. To have your bot whitelisted, please contact the moderators for a short review.



Rule 11- Posts must actually be true: Disiniformation, trolling, and being misleading will not be tolerated. Repeated or egregious attempts will earn you a ban. This also applies to filing reports: If you continually file false reports YOU WILL BE BANNED! We can see who reports what, and shenanigans will not be tolerated. We are not here to ban people who said something you don't like.

If you file a report, include what specific rule is being violated and how.



Partnered Communities:

You can view our partnered communities list by following this link. To partner with our community and be included, you are free to message the moderators or comment on a pinned post.

Community Moderation

For inquiry on becoming a moderator of this community, you may comment on the pinned post of the time, or simply shoot a message to the current moderators.

Credits

Our icon(masterpiece) was made by @clen15!

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Well known health influencer explains how to fight back health insurance denials in United States.

  • explains (in simyle terms) how insurance companies work.
  • shows basic steps to create a solid appeal.
  • recommends some online tools (AI based) to craft the appeals.
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 96 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

If you read the above headline without thinking it's insane, chances are you are American.
No developed country is as insane as USA, not even close, not even remotely close.
If you are sick, you shouldn't need to fight for treatment, only in a sick society is that necessary.

Land of the fee. Home of the [wage] slave.

[–] WongKaKui@piefed.ca 23 points 1 month ago (3 children)

"America" isn't the only country with these issues

My family emigrated from China... its about the same on the other side of the ocean... (honestly don't know what the "free healthcare in China" stuff came from... certaintly didn't apply to my family from Taishan with Taishan Hukou)

They're so used to this lol, they think this is just normal

Also: Young people are expected to fund their parents retirement... its a crime to just abandon your elderly parents who cannot afford their living (unless you have proof of abuse)

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

China is coming from extreme poverty and a feudal society until not that long ago, and is a different culture. USA is coming mostly from European culture, but is doing worse in this field than any European country, despite being far richer than most European countries.
China has made a lot of progress the past 50 years, conditions in China are now without comparison better now than they were 50 years ago. In USA conditions are in many ways worse for the average worker than they were 50 years ago.

honestly don’t know what the “free healthcare in China” stuff came from

I have no idea what you mean. AFAIK China does not have healthcare for all, or free healthcare. But apart from that IDK how healthcare actually works in China.

[–] WongKaKui@piefed.ca 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I have no idea what you mean. AFAIK China does not have healthcare for all, or free healthcare. But apart from that IDK how healthcare actually works in China.

Common rhetoric I get told in the Fediverse... I mean if you look in World News comms, you'll see those...

Which just confuses the fuck out of me since its a contradiction to my parents first-hand accounts (and also some of what gets told by my aunts (and other relatives/people in my parent's social circle in China))

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I see the world news sub every day, and I have never seen that claim.

[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

I've never heard healthcare is free in China, but I have heard it is much much more affordable there. Again, I've never been, but that's not a hard bar to clear in comparison to the USA.

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 2 points 1 month ago

Who says there is free healthcare in China?

[–] vorpuni@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Every workplace accident I've had has been denied at first due to technicalities. In France, touted as the great communist system where you pay nothing (which is of course wrong).

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

In the workplace you hopefully had help from your union. Americans rarely have that luxury.
Also it's only in USA that France might be considered communist, because that's completely moronic extreme right propaganda, since France has a free market economy like the rest of EU.
At least in EU insurance is under better regulation than in USA, but it still sucks to have to make insurance claims, that the insurance company has every interest in rejecting.

[–] vorpuni@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 2 points 1 month ago

Unions at least know good lawyers but it wasn't necessary at all, the first denial was just to waste my time. Sadly union membership in France is becoming insignificant so they're not as good as they once were.

And I was saying France is “communist” in jest.

The regulation is all right in France but insurance definitely has some very favourable laws (many delays for notifying them are quite short to the point where with shortages of GPs you have to waste everyone's time at the ER if you really need to be off work).

[–] humble_boatsman@sh.itjust.works 39 points 1 month ago (2 children)

No. We absolutely should not know how to do this. Because our elected officials should be working to curb Insurance Corporations and Corporat abuse and fraud in the most general sen..... Oh wtf am I talking about. Just hoping when I get sick its a fast death

[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

yeah it would be cool to not die painfully while waiting for that. quickly sure but maybe not neurodegenerative disease or smthg

[–] humble_boatsman@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

The new American Dream

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

1000% agree with you. But this is the old dilema of being idealistic vs being practical:

Yes, there is abuse and it is horrendous. Yes, the system must be changed. But if you are ill, right now, you shouldn't try to change the system, you should try to get better. And even when it is sad to have to resort to these tactics. It is practical to use them, given the current state of affairs.

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 38 points 1 month ago

Non Americans

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago
[–] zkfcfbzr@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I know someone who works for a major insurance company in the US, in the appeals department. I don't know the intimate details of everything about their job, but one thing I always remembered is if you have an expedited appeal (for a medical emergency), and they're requesting documents that you don't send within the 72 hour deadline an expedited appeal has, the denial gets an automatic administrative overturn - the appeal is approved. Presumably for liability reasons, combined with that the company gets fined if an expedited appeal takes over 72 hours to process. Potentially a usable strategy if you have an expedited appeal that's weak enough to have a chance of the denial being upheld in the end, and they're also requesting documents. Probably a pretty rare combination of factors though.

But I've also been told by them that most denials end up being overturned on appeal in the end. And that they see people appealing denials on a daily basis, where they were denied the absolute stupidest reasons - people who obviously should never have been denied in the first place. Hard to say if this means most denials are bullshit, or if it just means people only bother trying to appeal the most obviously bullshit ones.

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

In any case, it is just companies just dragging the process to make people tired and hopeless...

That on itself is pure evil: to mentally abuse people already in mental distress and potentially fighting for their lives.

[–] 404found@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I once owed $1100 for bloodwork a teledoc ordered. I had a wellness exam and they ordered a bunch of bloodwork which I got done at a major well known national lab. My insurance said the claim is out of network and refused to pay on some of the bloodwork orders.

Although my teledoc was licensed to practice medicine in my home state, my insurance plan stated it is billed for the providers primary state. In that state, my insurance plan is not contracted with the lab that it's contracted in my state.

[–] thenextguy@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m going to assume it says that we shouldn’t use ‘the Mangione method’.

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah... it is basically a practical guide to fight within the current (evil) system.

Definitely something nobody should need to do in a civilized society.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

insurances

I think mass nouns do not work like that.

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

thanks! Fixed

[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 month ago

I work in pharmacy, and what I see between prescription prices and insurance adjudication processes... it's a fucking eugenics program, plain and simple. I feel awful for people who need insulin and adhd medication in particular.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

No, I don't need them. We have real healthcare here.

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's awesome! Where are you from? Could you please share a bit about how things work where you live?

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I pay somewhere around €500 a month in health insurance. This insurance is mandatory, the payment depends on income, is free for people who cannot afford it, and covers my whole family.

Co-pays are minimal: €5 for prescribed medication, €10 per day in hospital. Some stuff cost extra, if you want something beyond basic services. I pay e.g. for better fillings (non-amalgan) at the dentist, 50-80€. Dentures and such are pricy, but there are extra insurances you can buy for that.

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The copays sound super reasonable. Based on the currency, I assume it is Europe. May we know which country?

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago
[–] Bbbbbbbbbbb@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Throw ****** ********* at the ***** of these corporate overlords, located at ************ or searchable through ***************

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago

Why did you write "hunter2" so many times?

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago
[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's a youtube video. I don't think there is a written article

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I worked for a non-profit insurance company, (Fidelis Care,) that was purchased by a for profit conglomerate, (Centene.) Health insurance companies deny appropriately billed and coded shit all day long hoping:

  • you don't know your rights
  • you can't figure out how to submit appeals if you are smart enough to know your rights
  • you will give up because the process is too complex, can take as much effort as a full time job, and can lower your credit rating while you wait for the appeals process to pay out.

I witnessed appropriately coded claims get improperly denied all day long. I spent most of my time working there helping people file appeals, or giving them the information to the state agency where they could file external appeals after our own review team denied their internal appeal.

Right before covid hit, a gentleman was approved for pain injections, but couldn’t get into the office before his authorization ran out, because anything non emergent was closed. Once the doctor’s office was open, the doctor submitted a new request, with the same clinical information, and it was denied. I put an appeal together for this man, painstakingly pulling the clinical records from the first authorization, the second authorization, EVERY PAID CLAIM related to his condition, AND EVERY RX CLAIM FOR PAIN MEDS the company paid for to demonstrate medical necessity. 4 hours of work. The appeals team denied it in 15 minutes later, it was absolutely not reviewed. This is the straw that broke the camel's back and made me rage quit Fidelis.

[–] certified_expert@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Holy shit... whoever decides "this is how it works" has to slowly burn in hell. The average Joe simply cannot imagine, let alone comprehend, the level of evil that these allegedly "people" can pull out...