Why is patient advocacy important when dealing with complex health issues?

A car accident, cancer diagnosis or heart attack can be the beginning of a long health care journey involving procedures, hospital stays, follow-up appointments, medical bills, prescription medications and more. Navigating all these components of care can feel overwhelming. That’s why patient advocacy is important in major medical events — to provide guidance and support through complex health care issues.

Coping with a Health Care Crisis

A major health challenge can impact all areas of wellness — physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational and spiritual. In difficult seasons, we can hold on to biblical promises and cling to hope.

You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. John 16:33 (CSB)

A patient may also benefit from having a health care advocate on their side.

What do patient advocates do?

Also called health care advocates, these professionals support patients dealing with challenging and lengthy health issues. Patient advocates typically:

• Provide education to help patients and caregivers make informed decisions
• Coordinate care between health care providers, health plan coverage providers and facilities
• Help navigate authorizations for procedures, filing for appeals, requesting second opinions and getting referrals
• Help make sense of complex terminology
• Help patients understand and maximize their health plan coverage
• Review medical bills and dispute errors
• Help resolve conflicts with health care providers
• Act in the best interest of the patient’s rights
• Provide financial and legal resources

How to Find a Patient Advocate

Patient advocates can be found through:

• Nonprofit organizations
• Hospitals (patient advocates may be on staff)
• Independent businesses
• Government agencies
• Health plan benefits

Real Stories About How Patient Advocates Have Helped Our Members

Help with health care navigation truly impacts members’ experiences. Consider these real stories.

The gift of hearing: A worsening hearing deficit began to interfere with a pastor’s ability to have conversations with church members. He didn’t have a primary care physician and wasn’t sure how to get care for his hearing. A GuideStone^® clinical advocate helped him find an ear, nose and throat doctor and pointed him to resources for discounted hearing aids.

From despair to hope: A rare brain disease caused a pastor’s daughter to go from healthy and active to bedridden, unable to communicate and dependent on a feeding tube. A GuideStone clinical advocate helped connect the family with health care providers who could provide the appropriate care. After a year of recovery, they are hopeful for a healthy outcome.

Saving precious time: A member drove over 200 miles every two weeks for a maintenance medication to treat a chronic condition. A GuideStone clinical advocate helped him find a new long-acting medication, allowing him to now travel only every other month.

Your Advocate for Faith-based Health Coverage

While we hope you never have to face a complex health condition, we value the importance of patient advocates to help carry you through difficult times. That’s why we offer help with care navigation as part of our GuideStone faith-based health plans. For more information, contact us at Insurance@GuideStone.org or 1-844-INS-GUIDE (1-844-467-4843), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.

GuideStone welcomes the opportunity to share this general information. However, this article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.