How To Draft a Rebuttal Letter

Regardless of your background, one of these days you’ll be in a situation where you’ll have to defend yourself against someone’s opinion: your employer reprimanded you or maybe even your medical claim got denied by the insurance company.

That’s not the end of the world, as you can still change things around by drafting a rebuttal letter.

These letters are formally written and express arguments and terms of your rebuttal. You can use these documents to address any allegations or express your disagreement with someone’s decision, among other things.

Here’s how to draft a rebuttal letter.

The Structure Of A Rebuttal Letter

Writing anything is easy once you get the structure down. Thankfully, most rebuttal letters follow a similar format.

1. The addressed

The first thing is always the name of the address (aka the person you’re writing the letter to). 

2. The date 

You should always date any written communications, and a rebuttal letter is no different. Keep in mind that you should be truthful, so include the exact date when you wrote the letter.

3. Body

This is the meat of your rebuttal letter and the part containing the arguments you’re using to counter the allegation/accusation/denial. Since this isn’t a demonstration of your creativity, keep the text short and courteous. 

4. Name and signature

To close out the letter, you have to write your name at the bottom. This proves that you’re the author of the letter and that you agree with the statements it contains. Make sure to include your signature between the name and the closing remarks.

5. List of enclosures

If you include any additional documents in your letter, add a list of enclosures that notes down the materials you attached. For instance, if you’re writing an insurance claim denial, you might want to include a physician’s letter that explains the necessity of your procedure.

Drafting a Rebuttal Letter

In this type of letter, you should never beat around the bush. Start by identifying yourself and drawing a connection between you and the other party. The person reading the letter may not be aware of who you are at first, so you should clear up any ambiguities as soon as possible.

When you get to the second paragraph, officially deny the allegation or express your disagreement with a decision. Make sure to provide evidence that backs up your opinion.

In the final paragraph, clarify what your request is. Is it a refund, reconsideration, or  review of an entire letter?

Sign the letter, add the date, and you’re done.

You should never let your emotions get the best of you when drafting a rebuttal letter. Stay professional throughout and address only the specific points you don’t agree with. Don’t be vague but simply provide evidence. 

For example, don’t write: 

I’m not late all the time.

Try this instead:

You stated that I frequently arrive late, yet, the timesheet I attached demonstrates I was late just twice when meetings ran too long.

Most importantly, don’t make excuses if you don’t have the evidence to back them up! Let’s say that something out of your control happened and led to a reprimand - simply define the issue and what you did to rectify the situation.

Sample Rebuttal Letters

To give you a better idea of how these letters should look like, we’ll provide you with two samples for two different scenarios: an employer rebuttal letter and an appeal letter for a claim denial.

1. An employer rebuttal letter

Example Company

Address

City

Date

Dear ______ ,

I have received your evaluation of my performance for the past year. I do have grievances about the contents of the review, though. I do not agree with your statement that my performance was unsatisfactory this year. 

I want you to consider the following: I was ill and missed two months of work, which had a severe impact on my overall work performance. I have also spent the majority of this year training ______.

In light of this information that you might have overlooked, I ask you to consider revising the evaluations. I hope we can resolve the issue amicably. 

Sincerely,

(Your name and signature)

2. Insurance rebuttal letter

Appeal letters are usually a lot more complex, but you can use the following example as a starting point:

Name of the insurance company

Name of the department

Address

City 

Date

To whom it may concern at (name of the company).

My name is _____ and I am a policyholder of (name of the company). I want to file an appeal about your denial of claim for (name of the procedure). In the Explanation of Benefits dated (date of denial), it states (quote the reason directly). 

I was diagnosed with (condition) on (date of diagnosis). This condition has a major impact on my daily life and my experience (outline the symptoms). I’m under the care of (name of the physician) at (name of the medical provider). They explain in the attached Letter of Medical Necessity why this procedure is beneficial. They state (insert a statement from the letter). Consult the letter for more information. 

Additionally, I have included supplemental information about the nature of the procedure and its impact on my condition. I hope you will review all the documentation I provided and reconsider the previous decision to allow coverage for (name of the procedure) since it is necessary for my well-being.

If you require more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly at (phone number or email address) or my physician at (contact information).

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Any consideration of this appeal is appreciated.

Best regards,

Name and signature

Address

Enclosures:

Everything You Need To Write Your First Formal Letter

While writing any sort of formal letter can be tough, once you see a few examples, it gets significantly easier. Use the pointers we mentioned to get you started and you’ll most likely be done with the first draft in record time.

If you feel uninspired, feel free to use our sample letters, fill in the blanks, and fine-tune them to your particular situation. This is especially helpful if you want to avoid coming off as condescending or brash.

Furthermore, you’ll hit all the key points so you don’t have to worry about missing bits of important information.

Good luck!