Advocacy

A patient advocate works on behalf of the patient to manage and resolve issues about health care and medical charges and supports and promotes patients' rights in general.

Patients can occasionally become overwhelmed by the combination of their own illness and the complex healthcare bureaucracy of hospitals, insurance companies, and managed care programs. Our patient advocates helps patients and their families navigate the complexities of the modern health care system to ensure that their medical and health needs are met, and acts on behalf of patients to mediate conflicts with health care providers. Our team serves essentially as a representative of the patient when responding to these larger health care institutions and providers. We counsel and inform their clients about insurance rights and patient empowerment, and intervene with HMOs, Medicare and other health providers as necessary.

In this capacity, a thorough knowledge of the laws, policies, and practices of managed health care programs and of institutions such as hospitals and is essential.

Good communication and social skills are extremely important, as the patient advocate will necessarily deal with a wide range of people, from the terminally ill to physicians and other health care professionals to lawyers, managed care case workers, representatives of health-related government agencies, national health policy organizations and possibly even the media. Since they will often be involved with disputes, differences of opinion, and situations which could easily become adversarial, patience, flexibility and a firm belief in standing up for the rights of the individual are vital character traits for the patient advocate.

Medicare coverage provides complex benefits when used properly and billed correctly by doctors and hospitals. Medicare pays for many services needed by Seniors - hospital, doctor bill charges, wheelchairs, diabetic equipment, scooters, etc all covered under Part A & B of Medicare.

Our team of Client Advocates can assist Seniors and their families with the following:

• Resolving claim disputes with Medicare/Medigap carriers
• Negotiate cost of provider's charges.
• Locate "per diem" hospital which offer fixed daily cost charges
• Review Hospital bills for errors
• Filing claims & paperwork
• Handle claim appeals
• Negotiate cost provider's charge Respond to your immediate "care" questions