Health Care Advocacy – A Very Expensive Band-Aid
June 23, 2008 by Becky Ramsey
Filed under Business
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone you could call to help walk you through your health care? Wouldn’t it be great if you had a go-to person to help you understand your bills and insurance, or to help you find a provider and get an appointment fairly quickly for you?
Well you can, but it’s going to cost you!
For right around $400/year at the lower end to $200/hour at the high end, you can have your own personal health care advocate. The Chicago Tribune reports that over 20 families on Forbes’ list of richest Americans have already purchased their own health advocacy. Exactly. That’s who can afford a service that should be a free standard of care in our health system. There is no doubt that the system is overburdened. There is no doubt that physicians and staff do not have enough time to handle all that they have to handle in a timely, easy-for-patients-to-understand fashion. No argument here. Is offering preferred treatment and more access only to those with resources the way to fix the problem, though?
I’m inclined to say no, but I’d like to hear what you think.
Source:
“Health-care advocates do the job if you have the money” – Chicago Tribune, June 22, 2008
There are many free routes to gaining advocacy as a patient, however — such as the cancer navigators sponsored by the American Cancer Society or the assistance given by PAF, the Patient Advocacy Foundation. I think that part of the burden is on patients to learn how the system works — it is true that those who are familiar with how to navigate the system have better results, but many patients and caregivers are passive and don’t get as involved as they should in their own/their loved ones’ care.
Jen,
Your point is well taken, and I’d love to see a post on some of those free navigators if you could provide some links. Being in public health, though, I’m most often thinking of patients who have little access to and knowledge of these types of resources.
I think what really bothers me is more than just the navigation, but that it appears that those who can pay are getting more time with providers and earlier appointments.
Agree with both post. Yes it is true that those who can pay do get more time with providers. Patients’ should be educated and be given this as a free available resource. Part of “navigating” the system is to keep the patient confused regarding insurance and guidelines within a particular facility. I also agree that patients and caregivers are passive until something comes up and then they must become concerned about their health care. Patient advocacy should be another free service built into part of the health care system at various levels.