Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. claim denials in Florida: the federal figures
Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. denied 13.8% of in-network claims in Florida — 99,831 claims out of 722,574. Here is what happened to the people who appealed.
What happened to appeals
| Stage | Filed | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| Internal appeal (to Health First Commercial Plans, Inc.) | 350 | 49.7% |
| External review (independent) | — | — |
What Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. denies most
The most common denial reason recorded for Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. plans in Florida is administrative reason. How that denial is beaten →
| Denial reason | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative reason | 77,681 | 27.5% |
| Service excluded from the plan | 57,302 | 20.3% |
| Other reasons | 46,589 | 16.5% |
| Benefit limit reached | 39,985 | 14.1% |
| Referral required | 25,235 | 8.9% |
| Provider out of network | 20,894 | 7.4% |
| Not medically necessary | 12,207 | 4.3% |
| Member not covered | 2,867 | 1% |
| Experimental or investigational | 75 | 0% |
What to do if Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. denied your claim
- Get the reason in writing. The denial notice must state the specific reason and the plan provision behind it. If it does not, request it — you are entitled to it free of charge.
- File the internal appeal. Generally within 180 days of the denial notice. Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. overturned 49.7% of the internal appeals it received.
- If they say no again, go external. An independent organization reviews it — not Health First Commercial Plans, Inc.. Generally you have 4 months from the final internal denial. This is the step nearly everyone skips.
- Ask for expedited review if waiting would seriously jeopardise your health. That timeline is days, not months.
Everything you need for your Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. appeal: your two deadlines, the argument that fits your denial reason, an evidence checklist, and the external review request. Opens on screen the moment you pay.
Questions
Is Health First Commercial Plans, Inc.'s denial rate high?
13.8% against a national average of 16% across the plans in this dataset. It is at or below average. A denial rate describes the insurer, not the merits of your claim.
Does appealing cost anything?
The internal appeal is free. External review is free under the HHS-administered federal process; where an issuer uses a contracted independent review organization or a state process, any fee is capped at $25.
Can Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. ignore the external decision?
No. External review decisions are binding on the plan.