The story behind AskBenji.
My brother Benji lives with a rare disease. Three times, his insurance denied the medication that keeps him alive, productive, and healthy. Not because it didn’t work — because the system is designed to say no first and hope patients give up.
Each time, the appeal process was a labyrinth — buried in jargon, stacked against him, impossible deadlines, phone calls that went nowhere. The quiet terror of wondering what happens when the last refill runs out. And the cost of hiring a professional advocate? Out of reach for most families — the very families who need help the most.
On the third denial, I built my brother a custom AI agent to fight back. We gathered the clinical evidence, found the regulations, drafted the appeal — and won. But it shouldn’t have taken a technologist with a decade in healthcare to figure this out. Most people don’t have someone in their corner who understands the system.
That’s why I built AskBenji — named after my brother — so no patient has to fight alone.
“The system is designed to make patients give up. AskBenji is designed to make sure they don’t.”
When we fought Benji’s denials, we discovered something that changed everything: most denials can be overturned. The federal and state regulations are overwhelmingly on the patient’s side. The clinical evidence exists. The precedents are there. Patients just don’t know where to look or what to say.
The system counts on patients giving up. AskBenji makes sure they don’t have to.
AskBenji analyzes your denial letter or medical bill in minutes. It finds the regulations that protect you, gathers clinical evidence, identifies billing errors, and writes appeal letters and dispute letters — in your voice, ready to send. Free, because access to your own healthcare shouldn’t depend on your ability to pay for an advocate.
AskBenji is an AI-powered informational tool — not a lawyer, doctor, or licensed professional.
Our analysis is based on general knowledge of healthcare regulations and common billing practices. It is not legal or medical advice.
For complex legal or medical questions, we recommend consulting a patient advocate or attorney.
We do not guarantee outcomes. We give you the best information and tools to advocate for yourself.
Insights on medical billing, insurance denials, and patient advocacy.
An independent doctor can overrule your insurer. More than half of appeals win. The reviewer who denied you may not even practice in your specialty. Five facts the insurance industry profits from you not knowing — with the citations to back them up.
Read more →Insurance DenialsAppealing an insurance denial costs $0 in filing fees. What you may choose to pay for is help — advocates run $75–250/hour, attorneys $200–500/hour. Here's what each option costs, when it's worth it, and how to start free.
Read more →Insurance DenialsFewer than 1% of patients appeal their insurance denials — and every uncontested denial is money the insurer keeps. Here’s what actually happens when you don’t appeal: collections, credit damage, lost treatment. And what happens when you do: more than half win.
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