Members Resources

Standard Payment Appeals

• An enrollee;
• An enrollee’s representative;
• Non-contract provider
• The legal representative of a deceased enrollee’s estate; or
• Any other provider or entity (other than the MA plan) determined to have an appealable interest in the proceeding.

 Standard Pre-Service Appeals

• An enrollee;
• An enrollee’s representative;
• The enrollee’s treating physician acting on behalf of the enrollee* or staff of physician’s office acting on said physician’s behalf (e.g., request is on said physician’s letterhead or otherwise indicates staff is working under the direction of the provider); or
• Any other provider or entity (other than the MA plan) determined to have an appealable interest in the proceeding.

Expedited Pre-Service Appeals

• An enrollee;
• An enrollee’s representative;
• Any physician or staff of physician’s office acting on said physician’s behalf (e.g., request is on said physician’s letterhead or otherwise indicates staff is working under the direction of the provider) acting on behalf of the enrollee.

Expedited (fast) and Standard appeal requests must be made within 60 calendar days from the date on the denial notice.

• Expedited requests can be made either orally or in writing.
• Standard appeals request must be made in writing.

If a request for an appeal is filed beyond the 60 calendar day time frame, without good cause, LifeWorks Advantage will dismiss your appeal request

Once the plan receives the request, it must make its decision and notify the enrollee of its decision as quickly as the enrollee’s health requires, but no later than 72 hours for expedited requests or 30 calendar days for standard requests or 60 calendar days for payment requests.

You, your representative, or your treating physician on your behalf can request an expedited (fast) appeal by phone or in writing and a standard appeal in writing directly to us at:

Mail:

LifeWorks Advantage
Appeals and Grievances Department
PO Box 2190
Glen Allen, VA 23058

Fax: 1-833-610-2380

Call us to expedite an appeal at 1-844-854-6883 (TTY 711)

Providers who are submitting more than 50 pages of documentation, please share files via CD (Compact Disc) or USB (Universal Serial Bus) drive.

Yes. If your health requires a quick response, you must ask for an expedited (fast) appeal. Start by calling, writing, or faxing our plan to make your request for us to authorize or provide coverage for the medical care you want. You, your doctor, or your representative can do this.

You may file an expedited appeal by calling: 1-844-854-6883 (TTY 711)

If LifeWorks Advantage decides, based on medical criteria, that your situation is “time-sensitive” or if any physician calls or writes in support of your request for an expedited review, LifeWorks Advantage will issue a decision as expeditiously as possible, but no later than 72 hours after receiving the request.

If LifeWorks Advantage denies an enrollee’s request for an item, service in whole or in part, or any amounts the enrollee must pay for a service (issues an adverse organization determination), the enrollee may appeal the decision to the plan by requesting a reconsideration.

A reconsideration consists of a review of an adverse organization determination or termination of services decision, the evidence, and findings upon which it was based, and any other evidence that the parties submit or that is obtained by the health plan, the QIO, or the independent review entity.

• An enrollee or an enrollee’s appointed or authorized representative may request a standard or expedited reconsideration.
• A non-contract physician or provider to a Medicare Health plan may request a standard reconsideration without being appointed as the enrollee’s representative, on the enrollee’s behalf.
• Non-contract providers must include a signed Waiver of Liability form holding the enrollee harmless regardless of the outcome of the appeal.
  • The Waiver of Liability is located on our Provider Documents page.
• A physician regardless of whether the physician is affiliated with the plan may request that a Medicare Health Plan expedite a reconsideration.

Contract providers do not have appeal rights.

Reconsideration requests must be filed with the health plan within 60 calendar days from the date of the notice of the organization’s determination.

Expedited requests can be made either orally or in writing.

Standard requests must be made in writing unless the enrollee’s plan accepts oral requests. An enrollee should call the plan or check his or her Evidence of Coverage to determine if the plan accepts oral standard requests.

You or your representative can request a standard or expedited reconsideration by writing directly to us at:

Phone: 1-844-854-6883 (TTY 711)

Mail:
LifeWorks Advantage
Appeals and Grievances Department
PO Box 2190
Glen Allen, VA 23058

Fax: 1-833-610-2380

We will review your appeal. If any of the services you requested are still denied after our review, Medicare will provide you with a new and impartial review of your case by a reviewer outside of LifeWorks Advantage. If you disagree with that decision, you will have further appeal rights. You will be notified of those appeal rights if this happens.

If a party shows good cause, LifeWorks Advantage may extend the time frame for filing a request for a standard determination. LifeWorks Advantage will consider the circumstance that kept the enrollee or representative from making the request on time and whether any organizational actions might have misled the enrollee.

Examples of circumstances where good cause may exist to file a late appeal include (but are not limited to) the following situations:

• The enrollee did not personally receive the adverse organization determination notice, or he/she received it late;
• The enrollee was seriously ill, which prevented a timely appeal;
• There was a death or serious illness in the enrollee’s immediate family;
• An accident caused important records to be destroyed;
• Documentation was difficult to locate within the time limits;
• The enrollee had incorrect or incomplete information concerning the reconsideration process; or
• The enrollee lacked the capacity to understand the time frame for filing a request for reconsideration.