Description: A Patient Advocate's View
“Greedy, Lazy and Cheap.” This was the title of a speech I gave to physicians back in the 1990’s when they had to decide if they would sign on to insurer panels. I pleaded with them to remember that if it looked too good to be true, then it probably was. But their greed clouded their judgement when the insurers told the doctors that they would give them an endless supply of patients, so that the doctors could just concentrate on being professionals and leave the business side to them. The physicians didn’t
However, who is a Patient Advocate? I started my Private Professional Patient Advocate business in 2008 after using the title since 1976. Originally, doctors and hospitals paid for my services, but once the insurers took over their businesses, the ‘Providers’ and those paying for the insurance, mostly employers or Unions, were left hoping for the best or looking for lawyers. So, that’s when those who could afford it, looked for someone to help them when they couldn’t get the care they needed or found themse
Most advocates agree that over the past decade, few people knew that Patient Advocates existed. Also, there was no license or standard rate for their services. Just like the renaming and reassignment of roles for physicians, anyone could call themselves a Patient Advocate. Insurers and hospital systems took full advantage of the confusion and gave out these titles to advertise their customer service departments. Then, a group of Advocates got together and formed the Patient Advocate Certification Board. Her