Introducing: What Is A Health Advocate?

I recently I saw a statistic that 80% of Americans do not know what a health advocate is. So, I have tried to explain it below.

We are advisers, consultants, engineers, negotiators, mediators, and leaders. We color outside the lines and push boundaries. We see details that other's miss. We have a toolbox filled with items that permit us to solve health care problems. We have a support system of other health advocates to help us with difficult issues. We understand health care and insurance laws, as well as, patient rights.

We follow an ethical code of conduct that we don't waiver from. We are empathetic, understanding and dedicated to the clients we serve. This is who we are.

Now, why should you hire Health Advocate Experts? Because we understand health care and are committed to resolving your issues.

We have worked in the health care field, with the government, consulting to big health care organizations, developing and managing product lines for a health insurer and for a large HMO. We understand the organization of health care, case management and care management systems. We have Master's and undergraduate degrees in health care and our passion is health and nutrition.

Here are the facts:

1. When you go to the doctor to get a diagnoses, or to explain your symptoms, you feel vulnerable and want help. You only remember between 5% and 10% of what a doctor says. That is why Health Advocate Experts goes with you to ask important questions and to document the visit.

2. If you need a hospital stay, please bring Health Advocate Experts with you. You should never be in the hospital alone. According to the Institute of Medicine, there have been over 440,000 ERRORS that occur in hospitals each year. While many hospitals have gotten better at controlling errors, patients get operated on the wrong eye, leg or arm. They get the wrong food, or medicine and wrong procedure. This why Health Advocate Experts needs to be with you to make sure errors do not occur.

Also, if you have Medicare, Health Advocate Experts must be with you to speak to the physician about how he/she is coding your stay. This has implications as to whether Medicare will pay for it and whether You can go onto a Rehab Facility if need be and it is paid for.

3. If your insurer did not cover you for a procedure you had or the hospital stay included a huge bill you did not expect, please hire Health Advocate Experts. We have a particularly good understanding of insurers and we know who to contact to negotiate your hospital stay.

4. If a physician is not understanding your concerns and you are worried, please hire Health Advocate Experts. We are able to work with your physician to come to a mutual understanding, or we can find you a second opinion.

5. We can help you navigate a health care system that is based on "sickness", "profit", and "non-transparent".

In all of these situations, our allegiance as a private health advocate, is to you, the client.

Health Advocate Experts, also offers a low cost program to people who tend to be single. Most have full lives with friends, driving, eating out, and working out, but when life decisions come, have no one to talk to. At different ages, different needs arise.

For example, we helped a 30 year old with social issues and a 50 year old with losing 50 lbs. If your mom or dad lives alone, please sign her or him up. We will make sure we contact her/him.



Here is to your health and staying strong during this health care crisis!!!!