I Want the Tape: How I Used HIPAA to Force a Response

In this story, you’ll learn:

• How to use HIPAA’s Right of Access (45 CFR 164.524) to demand your denial records—and why it works.
• The exact wording I used to push past delays and force an insurance company to take action.
• Why getting names, reference numbers, and recorded calls is your best defense against denial chaos.
• A step-by-step look at how persistence turned a $2,000 bill into a fully covered expense—and how you can do the same.
• Why you shouldn’t fight this fight alone—and how an advocate can protect you from burnout and costly mistakes.

Six Months Later ...

By March, I was so deep into this billing mess that my home office looked like a crime scene. A Google sheet glowed on my monitor, and my desk had a mountain EOBs, medical bills, handwritten notes, and color-coded sticky notes.

The only bill still haunting me was the Hoyer lift. By now, the balance had climbed to $1,700. Still unpaid. Still being sent to me.

I had already confirmed that the vendor was in-network. I’d been told by an insurance rep back in September that this exact piece of equipment was covered. But in the haze of anxiety, sleeplessness, and rushing, I’d made one critical mistake: I hadn’t written down the reference number or the rep’s name.

All I had was a scribbled line in my notebook: “Hoyer = covered.”

And that wasn’t going to be enough to get this resolved.

 
Welcome to Paper Appeal Hell

The insurance company refused to let the vendor submit a second appeal. Instead, they told me that I had to submit the appeals—a 5-page form for each month of denial.

Worse? I had to mail hard copies via USPS. No upload. No email. No fax.

If you’ve ever been unemployed while juggling out-of-pocket medical expenses, you know that printer ink is the last thing you want to spend money on. But I had no choice.

So off I went to Wal-Mart for printer cartridges. I filled out, printed, signed, and mailed 25 pages, complete with tracking numbers and receipts.

Which is why, when I called a few weeks later and the rep said, “We don’t have any record of your appeals,” I almost lost it.

 
“Go Find the CRM. Look Deeper.”

The rep on the phone sounded young and nervous. When I asked her to check the system, she admitted she didn’t know what to look for.

I explained, calmly, that the system was called a CRM (Customer Relationship Management platform)—and it’s what they use to look up all their covered patients. She was silent.

So I asked for a supervisor. And waited. Again.

The supervisor came on and gave me nothing:

• No record of my paperwork.
• No confirmation of prior calls.
• No explanation for the missing documents.

She promised to “elevate it,” which would take another 30 to 45 days.

I insisted she call the DME vendor while I stayed on the line, so at least they knew I wasn’t refusing to pay. That helped calm them temporarily.

But the denials and bills kept coming.

 
September Matters. Find the Call.

In late May I took a deep breath and called again. I said clearly:

“I need someone to go back to the call I made in September. I need the name, date, time, and reference number. Someone told me this Hoyer lift was covered, and I need that call.”

After verifying my information and providing a two-week date range, an insurance rep finally slowed down enough to look. She found it!

The rep confirmed:

• I had called.
• The date, time, rep’s name, and reference number were all documented.
• There is a recording.
• And yes, the account notes said: “Hoyer lift approved as in-network, covered item.”

Then I said what I’d been waiting months to say:

“Play me the tape.”

 
“We Can’t Do That.”

She told me I would need a supervisor.

So I waited. Again.

When the supervisor came on, I repeated myself:

“I want to hear the recording of that call. I want the audio where your employee confirmed coverage.”

He refused, saying the call had to be reviewed internally and it would take 45 to 60 days.

At this point, the timeline had stretched from 30 days, to 30–45, to 45–60. Strategic dysfunction at work.

That’s when I dropped the hammer.

 
The HIPAA Card

I stayed calm but firm.

“HIPAA Right of Access (45 CFR 164.524) is federal law. You have 30 days to give me access to my full denial record and supporting documentation. Refusing to do so is a violation of my rights.”

He went quiet. Really quiet.

I continued:

“I hope this call is being recorded, because I want someone in your company to hear that you’re approaching a violation of federal law. This isn’t just a bad customer experience. This is a compliance issue.”

He still wouldn’t play the tape, but he promised someone would “follow up.”

And so, I waited.

 
The 30-Day Deadline

Exactly 30 days later—with just two hours to spare—my phone rang.

The rep stated she had just listened to the recording. She continued to speak quickly, quietly, and matter-of-factly:

• Yes, I had been told in September that the Hoyer lift was covered.
• Yes, that was incorrect.
• Yes, the insurance company would now pay the $2,090.83 balance.
• We owed nothing. The vendor would be paid. The appeals case was closed.

I said simply, “You’re aware you were two hours from violating HIPAA, correct?” She was.

A Win, a Party, and a Deal

After that call, I celebrated.

I even threw a little party with the local DME company—the same company I had taken a risk on all those months ago.

But after the celebration, I shifted my focus to what still mattered: my husband’s recovery.

We still needed the Hoyer lift, even if only for a few more months. So I started negotiating with the DME company.

I was honest:

• They deserved to make a modest profit.
• I couldn’t afford to go broke.
• My husband still needed the lift to stay safe at home.

They did the math. We worked it out. And we landed on a fair price.

So now, after all that chaos, we are the proud owners of a Hoyer lift—and more importantly, my husband has what he needs.

What This Fight Can Teach You

Here’s the hard truth: everything about your health insurance comes down to what is—and isn’t—inside a contract.

The Hoyer lift wasn’t covered. It didn’t matter that it was essential for my husband’s safety and quality of life. If I hadn’t pushed, we would have been stuck with a $2,000 bill for something that should never have been approved and delivered in the first place.

 
Truths from the Frontlines

What every caregiver needs to know:

• Always get the name of the employee and the reference number for the call. Every time. Without fail.
• Ask: “Are you recording this?” And if they say yes—say, “That’s fabulous.”
• Know your rights. HIPAA gives you access to denial records within 30 days. Say it out loud.

 
Why You Shouldn’t Fight Alone

If this feels exhausting just to read, imagine living it while working full time, managing your loved one’s care, and trying to keep the rest of your life together.

This is why caregivers need help. Not because they’re incapable, but because the system is designed to wear you down until you give up.

An experienced advocate knows the rules, understands the loopholes, and—most importantly—isn’t operating on four hours of sleep and emotional exhaustion.

If you’re stuck in a fight like this, you don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes, having someone in your corner is the difference between giving up and getting what your family member needs and what you’re owed.

Bio: Kim Feth, BSW, is the owner of Healthcare Survival Kit. We hand families the roadmap the healthcare system never wanted you to have. We guide you step by step, help you avoid costly mistakes, and give you the support you need to make confident decisions—so you can worry less and focus on what matters most: your health and peace of mind. To learn more, visit  healthcaresurvivalkit.com or email Kim at kim@healthcaresurvivalkit.com.