Now that you know what advocacy is—specifically health advocacy—it’s not surprising that you’d like to know the ways that health advocacy can benefit you.
An advocate is someone you can count on to be at your side when you need it most—and there are many, many ways an advocate can help you and/or your loved ones deal with health-related issues. For instance, a health advocate can:
- Help you find the right medical providers—ones who participate with your insurance plan, who are local to you, and who meet your needs and preferences
- Assist with scheduling testing and appointments
- Securing second opinions
- Explaining conditions and treatments you’re dealing with but may not fully understand
- Be a second set of eyes—when insurance claims and medical bills come in the mail, an advocate can help you translate any insurance-ese or medical-ese that you don’t understand. An advocate can also help determine if your medical bills show erroneous charges, and also help you get those charges corrected
- Remind you of when you need important medical screenings, such as colonoscopies or mammograms
- Help you find an assisted living center for your elderly loved ones
- Advise you on how to keep a healthy work/life balance
- Help you understand the details of your health, dental, or vision benefits
- Act as a wellness coach, helping you achieve a healthier lifestyle
- Help get you on the path to quitting smoking
- Help you make more informed decisions about all your health-related issues
Often, advocacy services are available to you through your employer. Check with your workplace’s benefits specialist or Human Resources department to find out if your employer includes an advocacy service as part of your benefits package. If you don’t have access to an advocacy service through your employer, there are several advocacy services you could sign up with independently. While signing up with an advocacy service independently could mean some out-of-pocket costs for you, that price is small compared to the potential cost-savings and conveniences (like connecting you to an ideal medical provider without you having to make a zillion calls on your own) that an advocate could help you receive.
Want to know more about health advocacy and how it can benefit you? Email your questions to nhess@healthadvocate.com!
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