When a claim is refused, the most useful document is the written reason. A reason names the term that applied and the part of the contract it comes from. A refusal given only by phone leaves you with no fixed point to answer, check, or take to a regulator. Asking for the reason in writing is a plain step, and how a provider responds to that request is a fair thing to note when you compare offers.
What a written reason should show
Look for the claim number, the date of the decision, the term or clause relied on, and the part of the unit or the service that the term concerns. Look for a statement of what you may do next, including any review or appeal route and the time the contract gives you to use it. A reason that cites no clause is one you can question on that basis alone.
Where the complaint route is listed
Each state names who regulates these contracts, and some states publish a roster of the sellers and obligors that are registered. Find the regulator named for your state and check that the contract mentions it or another complaint route. The state pages on this site set out the statute or program for each state, and the Florida page shows the format used for that state's entry.
How to use this in a comparison
Ask each provider the same question in writing: what does a written reason for a refused claim contain, and how long after a refusal may I ask for it? Compare the answers, and note whether each provider's written terms match what it says on the phone. This piece does not rank any provider and does not judge whether any claim will be paid. It has not read any provider's claim file.