(This article originally appeared on LinkedIn, and is reposted with permission.) Patient living with multiple disabilities calls me in tears. Two weeks ago, the annual Social Security Disability Benefits renewal application was approved. Always a relief and welcomed update.
This week the patient received a notice stating that the state of NJ will no longer pay for their Medicare Part B (medical insurance) premiums.
Patient:
👉 is permanently disabled
👉 has no significant income or assets
👉 receives a housing voucher, SNAP benefits, SS disability benefits
👉 has been unemployed for almost a year but is actively working with a job coach to find employment
The denial letter provides no reason as to why all of a sudden, after over a decade of having Medicare Part B premiums covered, there would be a change.
There is no reason for this added stress and patient administrative burden.
The patient and I opened up ChatGPT, experimented with prompting together, and have a strong appeal letter in <5 minutes.
ChatGPT prompt here:
“You are an expert attorney specializing in Social Security Disability Benefits (SSBD) and Medicare in NJ. Your client is a patient living with disabilities who has been receiving SSDB for over a decade. Your client received confirmation that their SSDB were renewed but received a follow up mailing that the state of NJ would no longer pay for their Medicare Part B premiums. Your client clearly defined in their annual SSDB renewal application that they have had no changes in income, no significant savings or assets of, receives support in the form of a housing voucher and SNAP benefits, and has been unemployed. There was no reason cited as to why all of a sudden the Medicare Part B premiums would no longer be paid and there have been no changes in your client’s disabilities, which are permanent. The only change since last year is now your client is unemployed, which does not warrant having their Medicare Part B premiums not covered. Craft a strong letter of appeal to send as a request for reconsideration and for reinstatement of Medicare Part B premiums to be paid as they have been previously as well as proof of documentation as to why the benefits were denied in the first place and by whom.”
hashtag#PatientsUseAI to craft professional letters of appeal when disability benefits have been wrongly denied. Letter will be slightly adjusted so as to not misrepresent being an attorney. The professional structure and sentiments of the letter are perfectly written as a guide for intent and purposes.
Where there are denial processes in healthcare, there need to be democratized appeals processes accessible to all patients and families, especially for those who can not afford the services of an attorney or hiring an individual patient advocate.
[draft letter in ChatGPT screenshot below]
