Health care in the US is broken and it’s only getting worse. Here are just a few examples why:

-Of the 3 trillion dollars spent annually on health care, 1 trillion dollars is wasted;

-Many doctors are providing too much unnecessary treatment;

-Providers are paid by the amount of care vs. attention quality;

-Health care costs are through the roof for everyone; and

-Many patients are not aware of their rights and responsibilities within their medical care.

Many people settle for the care they receive from their health care providers when they shouldn’t. If you ordered a cheeseburger and they gave you a burger, wouldn’t you send it back? Do you use that same tactic in your healthcare? Maybe not. You are not alone, most are not.

Have you ever had an experience at a doctor or hospital that was uncomfortable or frustrating? Did you have errors in your invoices? Did you leave a doctor’s appointment feeling bewildered? Many experience this every day. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to deal with a bad deal.

Advocacy is a patient-centered approach that can address many of the ills of America’s health care delivery, wasteful spending, and inefficiencies.

As a social worker for 20 years in many areas of health care, I have seen that many people were not informed or did not know what to say, do or ask. Many times, the negative results were preventable.

What is patient advocacy?

This means championing the cause of meeting a patient’s needs and desires during their healthcare journey. This could mean speaking with doctors on behalf of a patient, facilitating communication between health care providers, supporting a patient’s end-of-life wishes, correcting an erroneous bill, helping with insurance claims, and many other things. .

Advocates also have focuses such as billing, insurance claims and appeals, specific diseases (cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke), or how to get and keep good care (like me). There are professionals such as hospital advocates, patient navigators, and nurse navigators in health care facilities to help patients with their needs while in the hospital.

If you hire a private advocate (one with no corporate/non-profit interests) and pay them directly, their job is to go to the mat for your best interests. If you want to know where any advocate’s loyalty lies, find out where their paycheck comes from and you’ll have your answer. It’s not always with the patient, unfortunately.

Insurance does not cover defense (so private defenders must pay out of pocket), as the government has not regulated our profession. Anyone can tell they’re an advocate because of this, even my sixth grader, no matter what his experience level. Be sure to check their education, skills, and experience before hiring them. Make sure they are the right ones for your specific needs.

In the legal profession, intelligence is not a substitute for experience. Many very acute people have sought my services because they didn’t know how to handle their health care situations, some after making things worse. They alienated healthcare providers or were labeled “troublemakers.” Communication breaks down between families and providers, which is a terrible scenario that is not in the best interests of the patient. Defenders can help him in a situation like this and many others depending on his specialty.

Health care is a business and you are a consumer. In addition, you are responsible for your own medical care. Patients need to take care of themselves and give in to a provider’s orders, as they are the experts in healthcare. However, patients have the right to question any medication, test, or procedure that is proposed to them. Patients must do their part for good health as they are experts themselves. You can’t drink and smoke a lot and expect a miracle cure for your body after abusing it.

Health care spending can go down once patients learn how to use the health care system correctly, and a good private advocate can show you how while saving you time, money, and frustration.

Not only can individuals and families benefit, but corporations and non-profit organizations can save by listing the services of an advocate. It will show your employees (especially those who are caregivers or have chronic illnesses) that there is a more efficient way to experience healthcare treatment and possibly solve problems that can increase productivity.

The benefits of hiring an advocate can be priceless. Let one help you run your healthcare business, while you focus on your most important role: being a patient.