New York Times on the Growing Patient Advocacy Field

Alliance of Professional Health Advocates website

Mesh Medical Device News Desk, September 5, 2016 ~ Patient Advocates, a Growing Field

It is a new cottage industry, patient advocacy, and it’s born out of a complicated healthcare industry and the unequal power between the medical establishment and insurance and patients.

Patient Advocates are a growing industry and at the present time anyone can qualify. Many readers of Mesh News Desk and members of the many mesh Facebook groups are already acting unofficially as patient advocates for others similarly afflicted, so this article might provide some food for thought.

According to the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates there are about 650 advocates in its group, which is seven years old, according to the NYT report.

Patient Navigator is one firm that helps desperate patients find someone to step in to deal with the bills, to advocate for the patient in finding the correct medical care, go to doctor’s office visits and to handle tricky insurance claims. One patient advocate even negotiated lower payments and saved the client at least $10,000.

Ask for at least three different advocates and expect to pay from $100 to $450 an hour. A patient advocate hired by the hospital may not be the person who acts in your best interest.

There are many law firms out there who represent those injured by the negligence of others who support patient advocates, like Banville Law.

Of interest, check out Copatient, a patient advocacy site that lets you upload your medical bills and receive a free report and even negotiate savings, for a fee.

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New York Times on Patient Advocates