How to appeal a UnitedHealthcare denial

To appeal a UnitedHealthcare denial, file an internal appeal within 180 days of the date on the denial letter; UnitedHealthcare returns standard decisions in 30 days, and if it upholds the denial you can request an independent external review within 4 months. Pick your treatment below for a step-by-step guide.

Appeal guides by treatment

Each guide covers the UnitedHealthcare-specific filing window, decision timeline, common denial reasons, and how to submit your appeal.

• UnitedHealthcare glp-1 weight-loss drugs denial →
• UnitedHealthcare mental health & behavioral health denial →
• UnitedHealthcare fertility & ivf denial →
• UnitedHealthcare adult adhd medications denial →
• UnitedHealthcare specialty biologics denial →
• UnitedHealthcare cancer treatments denial →
• UnitedHealthcare ms treatments denial →
• UnitedHealthcare surgery denied as 'not medically necessary' denial →
• UnitedHealthcare out-of-network emergency denial →
• UnitedHealthcare migraine cgrp inhibitors denial →
• UnitedHealthcare pediatric therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare continuous glucose monitors & insulin pumps denial →
• UnitedHealthcare genetic testing denial →
• UnitedHealthcare hepatitis c cures denial →
• UnitedHealthcare sleep medicine — cpap, bipap, asv, oral appliances, inspire hns denial →
• UnitedHealthcare dme — wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthotics denial →
• UnitedHealthcare dental — medical necessity, oral surgery, tmj, cleft palate denial →
• UnitedHealthcare interventional pain — scs, rfa, esi, kyphoplasty denial →
• UnitedHealthcare substance use disorder treatment (sud/moud) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare rare disease — ert, substrate reduction, gene therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare hiv prep & hiv treatment denial →
• UnitedHealthcare hearing aids, cochlear implants, baha denial →
• UnitedHealthcare hemophilia & bleeding disorders denial →
• UnitedHealthcare cystic fibrosis & pulmonary fibrosis denial →
• UnitedHealthcare cardiology drugs denial →
• UnitedHealthcare cardiac devices & procedures denial →
• UnitedHealthcare neurology — alzheimer's, parkinson's, als, epilepsy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare sickle cell & thalassemia denial →
• UnitedHealthcare vision & retinal — anti-vegf, ga, gene therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare kidney disease — ckd, esrd, igan, adpkd denial →
• UnitedHealthcare endocrine (non-diabetes) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare liver (non-hcv) — nash/mash, pbc, aih, wilson denial →
• UnitedHealthcare women's health — menopause, endometriosis, pcos, ppd denial →
• UnitedHealthcare copd severe + alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency denial →
• UnitedHealthcare diabetes drugs & insulin denial →
• UnitedHealthcare asthma & severe allergies denial →
• UnitedHealthcare orthopedics & sports medicine denial →
• UnitedHealthcare gerd & severe reflux denial →
• UnitedHealthcare ibs & functional gi denial →
• UnitedHealthcare eating disorders — residential / php / iop denial →
• UnitedHealthcare osteoporosis denial →
• UnitedHealthcare long covid / pasc denial →
• UnitedHealthcare severe acne denial →
• UnitedHealthcare eosinophilic esophagitis (eoe) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare iv iron infusion denial →
• UnitedHealthcare hereditary angioedema (hae) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare compounded glp-1 denial →
• UnitedHealthcare pediatric oncology denial →
• UnitedHealthcare maternity & postpartum denial →
• UnitedHealthcare stroke & neuro rehab denial →
• UnitedHealthcare lupus & rheumatology denial →
• UnitedHealthcare chronic wound care denial →
• UnitedHealthcare immune globulin (ivig/scig) for pidd denial →
• UnitedHealthcare adult car-t cell therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare myasthenia gravis & cidp denial →
• UnitedHealthcare pulmonary hypertension denial →
• UnitedHealthcare amyloidosis (cardiac attr + al) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare spinal muscular atrophy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare autoimmune cytopenias (itp + aiha) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare c. difficile infection denial →
• UnitedHealthcare solid-organ transplant denial →
• UnitedHealthcare men's sexual health — trt + ed denial →
• UnitedHealthcare treatment-resistant depression — rtms, spravato, ect denial →
• UnitedHealthcare inflammatory bowel disease (crohn's + uc) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare plaque psoriasis + psoriatic arthritis denial →
• UnitedHealthcare atopic dermatitis (ad / eczema) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare glaucoma (drops + procedures + surgery) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare multiple myeloma (non-car-t) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare prostate cancer denial →
• UnitedHealthcare melanoma & melanoma-immunotherapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare pediatric epilepsy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare growth hormone replacement therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare bph procedures + medical therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare lymphoma & leukemia (heme malignancies) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare bone marrow transplant (allogeneic hsct) denial →
• UnitedHealthcare neurosurgery — discectomy, laminectomy, craniotomy, shunt denial →
• UnitedHealthcare radiation oncology — proton, sbrt, brachytherapy, imrt, iort denial →
• UnitedHealthcare thyroid eye disease (ted) — tepezza (teprotumumab) and igf-1r therapy denial →
• UnitedHealthcare compounded medications (non-glp-1) — bhrt, ldn, ketamine, custom-dose pediatrics denial →
• UnitedHealthcare ent / otolaryngology — sinus surgery, septoplasty, tonsillectomy, head & neck denial →
• UnitedHealthcare vascular & endovascular — aaa, carotid, pad, varicose veins, ivc filters denial →
• UnitedHealthcare bariatric surgery — rygb, sleeve, duodenal switch, sadi-s, revision, esg denial →
• UnitedHealthcare interventional radiology — ufe, pae, tips, y-90, tumor ablation, kyphoplasty denial →
• UnitedHealthcare neuropsychological & psychological testing — adhd, tbi, dementia, asd, presurgical eval denial →
• UnitedHealthcare mohs surgery & dermatologic surgery — bcc, scc, melanoma in situ, slnb, pdt denial →
• UnitedHealthcare pediatric subspecialty — cardiology, gi, pulmonology, rheumatology, endocrinology, neurology denial →
• UnitedHealthcare reconstructive plastic surgery — lymphedema, panniculectomy, burn, mohs, hand denial →
• UnitedHealthcare inpatient rehab — irf / snf / ltac admission and length-of-stay denial →
• UnitedHealthcare hospice / palliative — eligibility, gip, recertification, concurrent care denial →
• UnitedHealthcare home healthcare — home nursing, home infusion, home pt/ot/slp, home aide, hospital-at-home denial →