“It’s Like a Second Job

” Communication Work in Patient Stories of Health Insurance Denials

Bibliographic Data

ID19235699
AuthorsJennifer J Bute (0000-0001-7203-5585, Indiana University Indianapolis, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages1-10
Publication date2026-05-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1041-0236 • E-ISSN: 1532-7027
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10410236.2026.2680199
PMID42210691
OpenAlexW7162812044
LanguageEN
References cited18

Although health insurance denials are common in the United States, we know little about the labor they create for patients and families and lack systematic exploration of the communicative resources required to manage them. The goal of this study was to analyze written accounts of those who have coped with insurance denials to better understand the toll of this experience, especially the communication work required to manage denials. Using qualitative analysis, I examined stories of health insurance denials (N = 144) culled from Reddit users who posted in a subreddit dedicated to navigating challenges in the U.S. health insurance system. Results point to the various forms of communication work involved in understanding and responding to denials as consumers try to access needed care. This study also highlights factors that contribute to, and often complicate, the demands and required resources that characterize this form of communication work. The effects of health insurance denials add extensive labor that compounds the already burdensome work of coping with a health stressor

Health care · Health communication · Health insurance · MEDLINE · Empathy and Medical Education · Patient Dignity and Privacy · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare