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Chronic Low Back Pain: when insurers say no, reviewers often say yes

In 212 published external-review decisions involving chronic low back pain, independent physician reviewers overturned the insurer’s denial 42% of the time.

Published decisions
212
2001–2026
Overturned
42%
89 denials reversed

Most-fought treatments for chronic low back pain

What insurers denied — and how those fights ended.
TreatmentDecisionsOverturned
Intracept Procedure21
47.6%
Intracpt Procedure13
30.8%
How to use this in your appeal

These outcomes come from California’s external review program — an independent physician panel whose decision binds the insurer. Every state has an equivalent, and internal appeals succeed even more often. If your care for chronic low back pain was denied, the published record says the denial is worth fighting.

SOURCE: CALIFORNIA DMHC INDEPENDENT MEDICAL REVIEW OUTCOMES (CHHS OPEN DATA) · DERIVED AGGREGATE STATISTICS ONLY · METHODOLOGY

Not legal or medical advice. Coverage Rights is a self-help tool that helps you prepare your own appeal. For advice about your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney or your doctor.

Fighting a denial for chronic low back pain? 42% won.

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