How to send by certified mail (step-by-step)

Certified mail with Return Receipt is the standard for a defensible appeal. It creates a USPS record that the plan received your letter on a specific date, and returns a signed card as proof. The total is around $6 to $10 depending on your zip. It takes about ten minutes at the counter.

Before you leave

• Signed letter, printed
• Enclosures, paper-clipped to the letter
• One 9x12 or 10x13 envelope (or a standard business envelope if the packet fits folded in thirds)
• The insurer's appeals address (from your letter's recipient block)
• Your ID (some Post Offices ask)
• A credit card or cash

At the Post Office

Step 1. Fill out the envelope. Sender's return address in the upper left. Insurer appeals address in the center. Use the address on the letter.

Step 2. Ask the clerk for "Certified Mail with Return Receipt." Say those exact words. If they hand you a green form (PS Form 3800), that is Certified Mail. If they hand you a green postcard (PS Form 3811), that is the Return Receipt. You want both.

Step 3. Fill in the top of PS Form 3800 with the insurer's appeals address. The clerk affixes the barcode strip to the top center of your envelope.

Step 4. Fill in the front of PS Form 3811 (the green card) with:

• Sender's name and address (yours)
• Article number (copy from PS Form 3800)
• Check the "Certified Mail" box under "Service Type"

Step 5. Fill in the back of PS Form 3811 with the recipient (insurer). This is the side that gets returned to you with the recipient's signature.

Step 6. Hand the envelope and both forms to the clerk. They will:

• Attach the green card to the back of your envelope
• Charge you postage plus certified mail plus return receipt (usually $5.50 to $9.50 total)
• Give you a receipt with the tracking number

Step 7. Save the tracking number. Take a photo. Write it on your file copy of the letter.

Alternatives to the counter

• Certified Mail online: the USPS Click-N-Ship service and third-party services (Stamps.com, Endicia) let you print certified mail labels at home. If you have a printer and a scale, this saves the counter trip. Return Receipt is available as either physical (green card) or electronic (email PDF, cheaper).
• UPS or FedEx: neither is a substitute for USPS certified mail because there is no equivalent to the Return Receipt green card. Some insurers only recognize USPS certified mail as "delivery of an appeal." Use USPS.
• Blue drop box: you can drop a prepaid certified envelope into a USPS drop box after you have generated the label. If you use the counter, the clerk drops it for you.

Timing

• Most first-class certified mail delivers in two to five business days
• Some plans route mail through a scanning contractor first, which can add another two to three days before your letter reaches an appeal reviewer
• The plan's clock starts when the letter is delivered to the plan, not to the scanning contractor. USPS "Delivered" is your reference date

After you send

Track delivery at usps.com using the tracking number. See How to track your certified mail delivery.

When the green card comes back, tape it to your file copy of the letter. Now you have paper proof of the delivery date, signed by the plan's mailroom.