Can my doctor help get a treatment covered by insurance?

Yes. Your doctor can play an important part in getting a treatment covered. According to the National Cancer Institute, your doctor and the hospital billing department can help you with the steps to get care approved.

If your doctor feels you need a test or procedure that your insurance does not cover, you can ask them to write a letter stating why it is needed. You then submit that letter to the insurance company as part of asking it to approve and pay for the care.

If the plan still does not agree, you can use its appeals process to ask it to reconsider. Along the way, the hospital billing department can explain the steps, and a hospital social worker or financial counselor can help you understand your options. This is educational information, not medical or legal advice, so your own care team is the best guide for your situation.