Introducing We Care Patient Advocates

Being in the healthcare system is a scary place.  Too many technical terms, the road to treatment is confusing, the bills don’t make sense and oh yeah, you forgot about the pain from your issue.  The worst part is that you can never get a straight answer about anything.  Where should I go?  What should I do?  What do I owe?  All seemingly simple questions that get answered with “It Depends”, “Well, maybe…”. 

Wouldn’t be great if there was someone there to help you navigate the non-clinical (business) side of your healthcare?  Well, lucky for you, now there is. 

Introducing We Care Patient Advocates.  At We Care, we focus on four key areas to help you:

1.       Assessing & Monitoring Your Living Needs.  We help you and your families understand the challenges of living alone and what facilities and caregivers may best serve you.  Our plans of care bring peace of mind.  Our assessments look at your health history, current living quarters and financial position to determine what the best course of action is for you and your loved ones.  We continue to monitor your situation to be proactive if anything changes.

2.       Helping You Understand Your Bills.  Understanding your medical bills is a full-time job.  We take the time to review your bills and explanation of benefits to ensure you are being charged fairly.   Whether you just need a second set of eyes or totally clueless, we can help.

3.       Being Your Patient Advocate.  We help you navigate through a health emergency or surgery.  We work with insurers, health systems, doctors, case managers and more to ensure proper care in acceptable time frames.

4.       Helping You Manage Your Health Journey.  The time that you need us most is when there is a transition of care- either from home to a facility, from the hospital to a facility to home, or anywhere in between.  We work with your navigators, case managers, insurers, and family to ensure a smooth ride.  This coordination takes a ton of effort- even if you know the business.  Trust us to make this journey easier for you.

You will want to work with us because we have been there too.  Don’t trust people who are new to the business, go with the team that not only knows what they are doing, but also cares that it is done right.  Go with the team that cares… We Care Patient Advocates.  Our services will make a world of difference in your life.  By having us in your corner, you will save time and receive better care.

Our promise to you is that We Care Patient Advocates will treat you like family.  We will work tirelessly on your behalf to minimize out of pocket expenses and maximize your entitled benefits from health insurers, worker’s compensation claims, and more.

We want you to live better and healthier so your families’ memories are positive.  Contact us today at (856) 520-8655 or ellen@wecareadvocates.com to experience our difference.

 

How A Patient Advocate Saved My Company’s Sanity

Running We Care Advocates has a ton of perks and one of them has been the ability to handle the black cloud hanging over our We Care family’s family. So far this year, we have dealt with the passing of several close family members, three cancer diagnoses and subsequent treatments, a stroke, three heart episodes, Alzheimer’s and its complications, and a million friends just needing a minute.

During all of this, we received a testimonial from the most unlikely person, my business partner, Jim Cucinotta. Without making Jim sound sensitive, the gist was “I cannot believe people go through this by only relying on the health system. So far, we have been told a different story every time someone comes in the room. The stories have ranged from hospice to rehab to nothing. Simple questions never get answered, everyone passes the buck. Thank God we have you helping us. We are exhausted, concerned and worried. Without an advocate, there is no way we can make the right decisions.”

The whole advantage of having an independent advocate working for you is that we work for you. We understand what the code words are from each doctor, nurse and specialist and can translate them in simple terms. We know the who’s, what’s and where’s you need to go, do, and see. And we do it during a time of great mental and physical stress. We are your clear thoughts.

A good advocate cuts through the mud and muck and gives the family the details they need to make smart decisions for their loved ones. Then we follow up and through with the plan to get the patient back to their old self. We follow the family’s wishes and explain that back to their health team.

We help with the aftermath- bills, insurance claims, grief, etc.- and help the family understand what the process is and then we get out of your way. We are not an errand runner; we are experts in removing your obstacles to great health care.

To learn more, contact me any time at 856-520-8655 or Ellen@WeCareAdvocates.com.

How Can Anyone Figure This Out?

We are working on a tremendously complicated case that involves a person with Medicare and a supplemental insurance who is recovering from a stroke, has moved from the hospital to a rehab facility to ultimately a nursing home, has an apartment that needs to be emptied and who needs to apply for Medicaid and Veterans Affairs coverage and a Patriot Angels grant.

The family is very bright, organized, and attentive so a lot of the initial paperwork went super smoothly. In fact, our nursing home contact mentioned how small the actual file is on our client because everything was in order.

It is about 90 days after the stroke and you know what time it is- EOB and Bill Time. Our client has received EOBs and bills literally every day for the last two weeks. The EOBs and bills both have summary sheets that you need a PhD to figure out.

Our client’s POA came in with a three-inch file, looked at us and said, “Well, what do we owe?” As we started to go through this mountain of paper, we looked at each other in the office and asked, “How do normal people do this?”

We live in a world where everyday we see Medicare Part A and B get billed incorrectly, see bills sent to families because their supplemental insurance wasn’t billed at all, and untangle services that were billed incorrectly all together. And it still takes us three or four hours to unravel a case.

How does a person with no experience dealing with the health system figure this out? Couple it with a generational need to pay a bill as soon as they get it because they obviously “got the service” and you get a system where health systems, rehabs and nursing homes are getting overpaid, your insurance is under-utilized, and your depleting your life savings or estate way too fast.

We can’t make every bill go away, but we can go through your insurances, their coverages, your bills and your financial situation and work with everyone to make sure you’re only being billed for what happened and what you owe.

Our goal is to help you live better. We know the stress of medical bills is not allowing you to rest properly and just reading the bills are causing your blood pressure meds to work overtime.

Please give us a call to see if we can help you. If we can’t, we’ll tell you upfront. If we can, we’ll let you know what the cost, timing and expected result will be. Ask anyone else in the health system that question, and you’ll get the quintessential non answer- it depends.

We are available at 856-520-8655, ellen@wecareadvocates.com, @WeCareAdvocates or www.wecareadvocates.com.

Advocates Get Frustrated Too!

We are working on three extremely difficult cases.  Each one is involving multiple healthcare providers, multiple opinionated family members, and multiple health insurances for each client.

One of our strengths is boiling each case down into must haves, nice to haves and don’t needs.  As we work through each case, it seems the nice to haves and don’t needs are bubbling to the top of each family’s needs.  To us, patient safety trumps all other needs then we adjust from there.  To get people to understand this has been challenging at best.

When the optional issues get addressed first, it takes focus away from our goal – to help the client get the help they need to get better.  One case involves a client who was released from multiple hospitals and rehab centers in worse shape than when they arrived.  Being at home has been a nightmare for everyone involved- the family is at its wits’ end, but is also part of the problem as our care plan has not been followed at all.

Before each and every provider comes to the house, we have provided a detailed list of the services the person should be providing, the outcomes that provider should have, the questions that the family needs to ask, and the next steps that provider should do.  Then we follow up to see how they made out.  And every day after the providers leave, we are being told that no one is supporting the family.

We get that the situation is overwhelming, but each day is a new step to recovery.  By following the script, the system will work for that client and just about every other one we work with.  It never moves as fast as you’d like, they never recover as fast as you like, and no one (other than us) gets back to you right away.  There is a reason that the call it a healthcare journey.

We only ask that if you work with us that you trust the process.  We know that we can’t fix everything in a day, but we can work on the most important issues first and go from there.  If we work together, the situation will be way more manageable than if you try to do it yourself- both from a quality of life and financial standpoint.

As our name implies, we not only know, we care.  That is why we are in this difficult field.  To learn more, visit http://www.wecareadvocates.com or call 856-520-8655.

 

Patient Advocacy is Not a Luxury

I did a quick search this morning on “Trending Patient Advocacy”. It only yielded 78 million hits. Patient Advocacy is a topic that has been covered from everyone from the AHRQ, the research arm of Medicare, to the New York Times to large consulting firms.

All the articles that I read had the same themes. As healthcare continues to get more complicated, the need for people to help you navigate your health is becoming essential.

Countless articles discussed how “independent” patient advocates, ones who do not work for your health system, health insurer or senior living facility, are needed to give patients the scoop of what is really going on with their health journey. Forbes and other like publications look at patient advocacy as a field that is going to create jobs for thousands of people soon.

Every person who we speak with who is a health professional extolls the virtues of all advocacy services, but especially the ones that we focus on- health insurance and medical billing issues, medication management, and resource planning. We are told ten times a day that we work in an area where they are not. It is a blind bottleneck for patients, providers, and insurers alike.

Most of the people we speak to believe that they do not need an advocate. They believe that their health insurer or health system has their best interests in mind when there is a question. They trust that the bills they receive are correct and that “someone” is looking at their medications and checking them for interactions, duplications and the like because “someone” asked them for a list. They feel they know how to manage their health.

Yet, our phones ring every day to help people with things like understanding that patients don’t “plateau”. They can only be released if it is safe for the patient and their family. We get requests to help with applying for benefits like Veterans Administration, Medicare and Medicaid. We see hundreds of mistakes made either by the health system submitting your bills or the health insurer who receives them. We save patients thousands of dollars when we review their medications and see that they are taking duplicate or unnecessary medications. We reduce side effects when we explain how to take the medications, what the medications do and why you are specifically taking them.

We know that we cannot help everyone. Some people need resources that we cannot provide. So we refer them to the government agencies, attorneys, accountants, home health companies, nursing agencies, etc. that we work with to ensure they get the help they need.

Most people waste more money on unused gym memberships and take out than what it would cost for us to ensure your medications are safe or that your medical bills are correct. We not only know how to work the healthcare system, we care about you. To learn more, visit http://www.wecareadvocates.com or call (856) 520-8655. You won’t be disappointed.

Why Do You Need a Patient Advocate?

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To borrow a cliché, it is because life comes at your fast. Whether it is an emergency trip to the hospital in the middle of the night, a routine exam that yields unexpected results or a chronic disease that is running your life, you need the help of someone who has been through your situation before. That experience will help your health journey go smoother and will yield better results.

A good patient advocate is an independent voice, working on your behalf, that explains your medical issues in terms you can understand and relays your concerns to your care team in terms that they understand. This give and take shortens the learning curve for you and reduces the frustration of dealing with health issues.

A really good patient advocate will know how to navigate the health insurance and medical bill world to help keep your costs in check while you are going through your journey. They know exactly who to speak to, what to say, what to look for, and how to resolve the issues that inevitably arise.

An extremely effective patient advocate also is licensed to review your medications to help you understand not only what each medication is for, but why you are taking them and how they interact. The advocate also can provide medication reviews that ensure you are taking your medications properly- both the time of day and with the proper foods/drinks.

And the best advocates ever will treat you like their family, taking the time to answer every question, question every leg of your health journey, and be there for you in your times of need.

If you are looking for that elite level of coverage, please contact us at 856-520-8655. You will be glad that someone will answer your call or call you back promptly that knows what you are going through and how to start getting you on the path to recovery.

Allergy Season is a Great Time to Get Your Medications Checked

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Spring is a beautiful time, with the flowers and trees blooming, grass greening up, and the weather getting warmer, unless of course, you suffer from seasonal allergies in which case, it is the worst time of the year.

For us, this time of year reminds us of two very scary events that both have the same issue- seasonal allergy medications. We had two different clients for very different reasons have their keys on the verge of being taken away because they were taking seasonal allergy medicine with their regular meds and did not tell anyone.

The first person had a shellfish reaction on time about 7 years ago. They were told to take three Benadryl’s a day. They were never told to stop. They were having alertness and lethargy issues. Yeah, no kidding. After reviewing their meds, we knew there was something more to the story. Sure enough, our questions lead to this discovery. We cut out the Benadryl and she was back to normal in no time.

The second person was told in 1970 to take an allergy pill every day to handle their seasonal allergies. The allergy meds became part of his routine for 48 years! As he took meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other issues, he was feeling “slower”. When we reviewed his meds, we knew to ask again about any allergy meds. Confirmed that he does not have any allergies and got him back to his old self.

These cautionary tales are for you to understand how serious it is to have all of your medications, supplements and vitamins checked regularly. Just because something is sold without a prescription does not mean it is safe to take with your current medications. And no over the counter medication is meant to be taken forever.

In our experience, most doctors do not look at the drug-drug and food-drug interactions of all of your medications because they are treating only part of you- i.e. cardiologist for your heart. By having someone like We Care review everything, you can have the peace of mind to know you are taking the right medications, the right way.

One of our most recent clients had 43 medications and supplements. After our review we found that they only needed 10 of which we believe another two or three will be eliminated once she starts to normalize. We saved her thousands of dollars per year and probably an hour of day by not taking so many needless meds.

Please make sure you always ask why you are taking a medication; how long will you need to take it and if there are any natural ways to address your issue. There is no badge of honor for taking tons of meds. Contact us at 856-520-8655 or at ellen@wecareadvocates.com if you have any questions.

Understanding Why Medication Management Is Important

I had an eye-opening conversation this week that after further reflection was actually the tenth time, I had the same talk. I was speaking to a health provider who did not understand what medication management was and how it would help them treat their patients.

I patiently explained to them that medication management consisted of a pharmacist reviewing all the medications and supplements that a person takes to ensure they are not reacting with each other. The review also consists of explaining to the person how, when and why they are taking these medications and informing them of any anticipated normal side effects.

This was straightforward enough but the health professional did not understand how this affected them. I then went into a lesson on how certain medications cause fatigue, lightheadedness, and the like which would greatly affect their ability to do rehabilitation. Which finally I got the “Aha” moment.

The health provider understood why it was important and even was shocked saying, “I worked in large health system here and we never reviewed medications like that.” It felt like one of those Cure Auto commercials where the undercover agent admits trade secrets to the Cure Auto agent.

The reason I told this story today is because preventable hospitalizations is the fourth leading cause of hospital admissions. Most of these admissions are medication related. By having a professional review your medications on a regular basis, you are giving yourself a fair shot of catching dangerous adverse drug reactions before the need for hospitalization.

Many times, you are receiving very vague instructions on how to take your meds like three times a day, but not specific directions like every 8 hours with food. Or you are taking an allergy medicine that exasperates the drowsiness of an anti-depressant. Without having all of these little details checked, you are being put at risk.
So what can you do? The first thing is to compile a list of every medication and supplement that you take and bring it to every appointment that you have. The next thing is to contact someone like We Care Advocates because we can do the medication management and give you the exact routine you need to take your meds and will alert you to potential reactions and side effects.

Confused? Don’t worry, call us at 856-520-8655 and we’ll gladly explain the process to you.

We Care Because People Need Help!

I saw a staggering statistic today- over 85% of Americans are not capable of understanding how to navigate their health journey. The study discussed the complexity of their insurance, what it covers, what is costs and how to do the follow ups. It really shows that your health is really your most important asset- and the health system is way too complex.

We Care Advocates was created for those 85% of Americans who need help managing their health journey. We ensure your medical bills are accurate and fix them when they are not. We review your health insurance coverage, so you understand what is covered and look at your needs to make sure you have proper coverage. We provide peace of mind when you are going through your health journey by explaining what your care team is saying, suggesting resources you need and deserve, and walk you through the process to minimize frustration. We review your medications for dangerous interactions, educate you on how to take them and explain the potential side effects that each medication brings to keep you alerted for if you are having a problem.

And we make our services to be affordable and assessible. We recognize our services are typically not covered by insurance and you are calling us when you need help now. Most of our clients are helped for less than $199. Our competitors don’t start speaking to you for less than $250. We want to get you on the path of recovery, get better then tell all of your friends.

Our expertise is bringing good help to Main Street. If during your free :15 consultation, we solve your problem or recommend a resource that can help you better, we feel like we did our job. Advocates do not get into this business because they want to be wealthy. We get in this because we have a genuine concern for people and in this case have a definitive skill set that will help people live better.

If you are having an issue with your health journey, please give us a call (856-520-8655), visit our website (www.wecareadvocates.com) or email me directly at Ellen@WeCareAdvocates.com. We will work with you to get the help you need to stay on track.

We Care Because It is Cold Outside

As the East Coast prepares for a deep freeze, we wanted to let you know that the Winter is when your aging parents need us more than ever for a bunch of simple reasons:

1. It is harder for them to handle things by themselves. Going to the store, the doctor or socializing with friends gets pushed off because it is too cold and other weather-related excuses/issues.
2. Forced heat causes underlying health issues including dehydration, brittle skin and fatigue. Dehydration for instance greatly affects the efficacy of their medications which of course affects side effects and adverse drug reactions.
3. It is harder for you to be involved in their lives as school, work, and other “life events” pick up in the winter.
4. The Winter weather increases their risk of falling or having a weather-related issue. Let’s face it, when it snows most aging people feel the need to prove they are still young and shovel snow. Nothing good comes from that.

Remember, our role as advocates is the help your family navigate their health journey. We ensure that they have the resources necessary to stay healthy, provide the support they need to stay on track and keep you informed to give everyone peace of mind.

A simple household review will yield the following things for us- adequate food available, the cleanliness of their home, fall risks and other accommodations to make their home safer, and a conversation to see what they need to continue to live independently.

We will also review their medical bills, medications, lifestyle and other things that affect their ability to get care and care for themselves.

If you would like to learn more, please contact me at 856-520-8655, ellen@wecareadvocates.com or www.wecareadvocates.com. We want to make sure your family is safe, healthy and moving through their journey as easily as possible.

We Care Because We are Blessed!

As the calendar year ends, I was reflecting on how We Care Advocates did this year. Some of the numbers were so corporate- this number of dollars saved by our clients in health insurance premiums, medical billing errors or medication reviews, but I wanted to focus on a couple of situations where we truly helped people live better.

I think our biggest win this year was with a person who was taking literally 25 medications a day that were generating 36 interactions. By working with her family, we were able to get her into a behavioral health facility that weened her off the offending medications. She still takes a ton of medications, but they are being taken properly and are not interacting.

Another win also was with medication reviews. We had a client who was newly admitted to a long-term care facility. She suffered from a touch of dementia and had a bad first night. Her “care team” prescribed five psych meds to calm her down. We reviewed her medications and determined that she only needed one as the other four were interacting with her and causing worse behaviors. We were also able to help this person enroll in Medicare Part D- saving her family a literal $1000 per month.

Sometimes a little education goes a long way. We met with a client whose mother was not controlling her diabetes well. After reviewing her behavior, we realized two things- she was shorting her insulin and she was binge eating processed popcorn products. Once we explained to her how to eat better and administer her medication properly, she was able to get her diabetes under control and is doing great.

Lastly, we helped a family avoid personal bankruptcy. Their daughter had an ACL surgery that was rejected. Her doctors miscoded her gender because she had a gender-neutral name and the insurance company rejected her pregnancy test. The family was ready to pay over $50,000 in medical fees that they were entitled to. The worst part of the case is that their family is in the healthcare world and couldn’t figure out the issue.

As we gear up for 2019, we realized how lucky we are to have been able to meet these people and help them and countless others. If you are going through a health journey alone, you really need to get an advocate on your side. If you have medical bill, health insurance or medication issues, you really need We Care Advocates.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!