Few things feel more infuriating than being told your appeal was never received.
Families spend weeks gathering documents, writing letters, and mailing packets, only to hear the insurer say there is no record of it. Worse, this often happens after critical deadlines have passed, leaving beneficiaries facing permanent loss of benefits.
This is not rare.
In life insurance claims, especially ERISA-governed group policies, insurers frequently assert that appeals were never received, improperly submitted, or incomplete. Sometimes it is a genuine administrative failure. Other times, it is the result of opaque systems designed to shift responsibility back onto grieving families.
Here are ten of the most common reasons insurers claim your appeal never arrived.
1. Appeals Sent to the Wrong Address or Department
Many insurers use multiple mailing addresses depending on the type of claim.
A denial letter may list one address, while the policy booklet lists another. Some appeals must go to a specific ERISA appeals unit, not the general claims department.
If your appeal goes to the wrong location, it may never be logged into the claim system, even if it physically arrived somewhere within the company.
Insurers then state that no appeal was received.
2. Faxed Appeals That Were Never Indexed
Some carriers still accept faxed appeals.
Fax confirmations only prove transmission, not that the document was properly scanned into the claim file. Appeals often sit in shared inboxes or imaging queues and never get associated with the claim.
Later, insurers say there is no appeal on record.
3. Electronic Uploads That Failed Silently
Online portals increasingly allow beneficiaries to upload appeal documents.
These systems frequently fail without notifying users. Files may exceed size limits, stall during upload, or save as drafts instead of final submissions.
Families assume everything went through because they clicked submit. Insurers later claim nothing was received.
4. Appeals Marked as “Correspondence” Instead of “Formal Appeal”
Even when documents arrive, insurers sometimes categorize them incorrectly.
If your appeal is logged as general correspondence rather than a formal appeal, it may not trigger the appeal process or toll deadlines. Internally, it sits in the wrong queue.
Months later, insurers say no appeal was filed.
5. Missing a Required Form or Authorization
Some insurers require specific appeal forms or HIPAA authorizations.
If one document is missing, they may treat the entire submission as incomplete without clearly notifying you. Instead of requesting the missing item, they simply do nothing.
After deadlines pass, they claim no valid appeal was ever submitted.
6. Appeals Sent Without Tracking or Delivery Confirmation
Many families mail appeals without certified tracking or delivery confirmation.
Insurers then deny receipt entirely.
Without proof of delivery, beneficiaries have little leverage. Courts often side with insurers when there is no objective evidence that an appeal arrived.
This is one of the most devastating mistakes families make.
7. Internal Claim File Errors
Insurance companies handle enormous volumes of documents.
Appeals are sometimes scanned into the wrong claim file, attached to another policyholder’s record, or lost during system migrations.
From the insurer’s perspective, the appeal does not exist, even though it was received.
These internal errors are rarely admitted unless aggressively challenged.
8. Appeals Submitted Close to the Deadline
Appeals mailed or uploaded near the deadline are especially vulnerable.
If processing delays push receipt past the cutoff date, insurers may mark the appeal as late or say it never arrived on time.
Families believe they met the deadline because they sent it. Insurers focus on when it was logged.
Under ERISA, that distinction can end the case.
9. Insurers Claim the Appeal Did Not Clearly State Intent
Some denial letters require that appeals explicitly state they are appeals.
If your submission focuses on providing documents or asking questions without clearly labeling itself as an appeal, insurers may argue that no formal appeal was made.
They treat it as supplemental information rather than an appeal request.
This technical distinction can be used to shut down a claim.
10. Strategic Silence Until Deadlines Expire
In some cases, insurers simply fail to acknowledge appeals at all.
Families follow up and receive vague responses. By the time they realize something is wrong, the appeal window has closed.
Insurers then assert that no appeal was ever received within the required timeframe.
This passive strategy places the burden entirely on beneficiaries to prove submission.
Why This Tactic Is So Dangerous
In ERISA life insurance claims, filing a timely administrative appeal is mandatory. If the insurer successfully argues that no appeal was received, courts often dismiss the case outright.
There is usually no second chance.
That is why insurers’ claims of non-receipt are so powerful. They eliminate cases on procedural grounds without ever addressing the merits.
Final Thoughts
If your insurer claims they never received your appeal, do not assume it was a simple misunderstanding.
These disputes often involve technical submission rules, internal processing failures, or rigid procedural standards that insurers strictly enforce.
Appeals should always be submitted with delivery confirmation, clear labeling, and complete documentation. Every communication should be tracked. Every deadline should be monitored independently.
In life insurance disputes, especially ERISA cases, how your appeal is submitted can matter just as much as what the appeal says.
When insurers claim they never received your appeal, it is often the beginning of a procedural battle that determines whether benefits are ever paid.