US Medical Term · insurance
Independent Review Organization
Organización de Revisión Independiente
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Independent Review Organization |
| Spanish (Español) | Organización de Revisión Independiente |
| Chinese (中文) | 独立审查机构 |
| Korean (한국어) | 독립 검토 기관 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Tổ chức đánh giá độc lập |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Independent Review Organization |
| Portuguese (Português) | Organização de revisão independente |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | องค์กรตรวจสอบอิสระ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 独立審査機関 |
What it means
An Independent Review Organization (IRO) is an accredited third-party company that conducts external reviews of health plan coverage denials after you have exhausted internal appeals. The IRO's decision is binding on the health plan—it cannot ignore or override it. Federal law requires most employer-sponsored and ACA marketplace plans to offer external review through a certified IRO. You typically have 60 days from a final internal denial to request an external review. For urgent situations where waiting could seriously harm your health, expedited external reviews must be completed within 72 hours. The IRO external review process is generally free to you as a patient.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
IRO—independent review organization
organización de revisión independiente
external appeal reviewer
revisor de apelación externa
request an external review of your denial
solicitar una revisión externa de su denegación
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026