Celiac care gets denied a lot. This keeps your appeals from slipping through the cracks.
People with celiac disease run into insurance denials for the care the condition requires: the endoscopy and biopsy that confirm and monitor it, the tTG-IgA antibody panels, the dietitian visits, the bone density scans. Most of these come back coded "not medically necessary" (CO-50) or "non-covered charge" (CO-96), and most of them are appealable. The catch is that the appeal has a deadline, and a missed deadline is the number one reason an appeal fails.
This tracker gives you one place to record each denied claim, the denial code and what it means, the appeal deadline, and where the appeal stands. When you work it on screen, the row turns amber when the deadline is within 14 days and red once it has passed, so the clock is always visible. A reference tab, built right into the file, decodes the most common denial codes, lists appeal deadlines by insurance type, and walks through exactly what to include in a celiac appeal, from the Letter of Medical Necessity to the clinical guidelines worth citing.
It is a spreadsheet. No login, no app, no account. Build it in your own Google account with one click, open the Excel version, or print the blank log and reference guide and work it on paper.
Insurance Denial Response Tracker
Three tabs, no setup: Active Denials with automatic deadline highlighting, a full Reference guide, and a Resolved log for closed claims. Choose the format that fits how you work.
Record the denial, set the deadline, work the row.
The highlighting is automatic in the Excel and Google Sheets versions. You enter the claim; the sheet watches the clock.
Build the full tracker in your own Google account.
The downloaded script (.gs) builds all three tabs, the deadline highlighting, and the dropdown menus for you. It runs once, takes about 15 seconds, and lives in your Drive afterward.
- Go to script.google.com and sign in. Click New project.
- Delete the placeholder code, then open the downloaded Insurance_Denial_Response_Tracker_GoogleSheets.gs, select all, and paste it in.
- Click Save, then Run. If asked, click Review permissions and allow it (the script only creates one spreadsheet in your own Drive).
- After about 15 seconds, a popup shows the link to your new tracker. Delete the gray example rows and start logging.
Prefer Excel? Download the .xlsx instead and open it directly, or drag it into Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. The deadline highlighting comes along either way.
Three tabs that carry you from denial to resolution.
Everything is pre formatted. The example rows show the shape; clear them and start your own.
Active Denials
A 14-column log for each open claim: dates, provider, service, amount, denial code, a plain-English reason, the appeal deadline, the method, and status. Deadlines highlight amber within 14 days and red once passed; resolved rows go gray.
Reference
Five sections: the common denial codes and what to do about each, appeal deadlines by insurance type, the documents to include in a celiac appeal, escalation paths when internal appeals fail, and celiac-specific coverage notes.
Resolved
A permanent record of closed claims. Keeps the active list clean and preserves prior approvals, which are some of the strongest evidence you can cite in a future appeal for the same service.
The denial codes you are most likely to see.
The full reference inside the file covers more codes, all the deadlines, the appeal checklist, and the escalation paths. Here are the two that come up most for celiac care.
Grounded in the federal appeal framework and celiac clinical guidelines.
The appeal rights and deadlines come from federal law; the celiac clinical backing comes from the major gastroenterology guidelines and patient advocacy organizations.
- 45 CFR 147.136, Internal claims and appeals (ACA) ecfr.gov, 45 CFR 147.136
- U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA (ERISA plans) dol.gov/agencies/ebsa
- ACG Clinical Guideline, Celiac Disease gi.org, celiac disease guideline
- Celiac Disease Foundation celiac.org
Friendly reminder. This tracker is general educational information, not legal, medical, or tax advice. It helps you organize an appeal; it does not decide your appeal or guarantee any outcome. Appeal rights, codes, and deadlines vary by plan and change over time, so the deadline printed on your own denial letter or Explanation of Benefits is always the one that governs. Verify the specifics with your plan documents, your state insurance commissioner, and qualified professionals. If a resolved claim involves a gluten-free premium or other medical cost you plan to track, review the total with your CPA or tax professional before filing.
Tracking denials by hand? Track the costs automatically.
The denial tracker keeps your appeals on schedule. Gluten Hero keeps the other side of the ledger: snap a receipt, log a meal or a medical visit, capture mileage, and the app keeps the running gluten-free premium and the year-end documentation your CPA or tax professional needs.