letter to insurance company for an appeal

[Guest guest]

My insurance company denied my first request for pre-authorization

of lower jaw surgery. I've already started the orthodontic process

so I'm a little concerned. I talked to my OS today and they said my

OS will write a letter of appeal. The denial letter stated

that " [my insurance company] requires documentation in the medical

records of difficulty chewing or swallowing and these symptoms must

have been present for at least four months for appropiate patient

selection. The documentation received did not meet the required

criteria. Therefore, this request cannot be approved. " Is this

first denial common for other patients out there? Would it help if

I wrote a letter to the insurance company also? Thanks for your

advice.

-nathan