This is a guest post from my friend Carol G. DeVore, M.D.
Private Patient Advocates To the Rescue
Before outpatient eye surgery for a detached retina in June 2012, Jerry was “the healthiest 62 year old man you could have imagined” according to his daughter. Within four hours of discharge, he developed excruciating back pain and was rushed to the emergency room. An MRI revealed blood clots along Jerry’s spine. Emergency surgery was performed, but Jerry came out of the operating room paralyzed from the waist down.
Jerry worked hard over the next few months to relearn basic skills to regain independence. Unfortunately, another surgery became necessary, followed by six weeks of strict bed rest. To attend follow-up visits, Jerry traveled by ambulance as his physician had ordered. Finally healed, he looked toward the future.
Imagine the shock when, a year later, Jerry received a bill from the ambulance company for $6,252.00. Angry, confused and unsure of how to proceed, he contacted Amazing Healthcare Consultants, a private professional patient advocacy firm in Birmingham, Michigan. Combining their insurance and medical expertise, Rachel Decena, a medical billing advocate, and Dr. Carol DeVore, a health information consultant, filed a formal insurance appeal and won for the full amount.
With great family support, and an inspirational attitude, Jerry continues to adapt to his new lifestyle.
Patient Advocacy and the Personal Health Record
A growing phenomenon, private patient advocates are establishing advocacy practices across the country. These advocates are filling the void caused by so many changes and challenges in today’s healthcare system. To help clients find their way through this “healthcare maze”, Amazing Healthcare Consultants is embracing electronic health technology by creating a Personal Health Record (PHR). A PHR helps people to become more involved in their own health and healthcare, coordinates and combines information from multiple providers, helps to ensure patient information is always available (think how important this is in an emergency, while traveling, or when seeing a new physician) and encourages family health management (think of how this could help parents caring for a child with medical challenges, family members of any age managing a chronic illness, families who live far apart, those caring for elderly parents).
To learn more visit http://amazinghealthcareconsultants.com
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