A Better Way Professional Health Advocacy

03/28/2024

National Patient Advocate Foundation is hosting a FREE Policy Consortium on May 16. With keynote speaker Donald M. Berwick, MD, the discussion will center on access and barriers to health care.
Advance registration is required so don't wait!

Keynote Speaker: Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP Lecturer of Health Care Policy, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School; President Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

02/20/2024

ASK ME ANYTHING ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE!

Do you understand your health insurance policy? How can you prevent unexpected medical bills? What's the difference between a premium and a deductible?

I'm here to answer these questions and more!

As Independent Health Care Advocates, we often help our clients understand and navigate the complex world of health insurance.

ASK ME ANYTHING about your health insurance struggles and I'll answer below.
Don't wait - Comments will be disabled in 48 hours!

02/13/2024

Dual Health Insurance Coverage can be a real benefit - and a real frustration!
Here are some helpful tips for understanding Coordination of Benefits.

- If you and your spouse have coverage through your employers AND are enrolled in each other's plan, your employer-sponsored coverage is PRIMARY and your spouse's is SECONDARY.

- The opposite is true for your spouse. Your spouse's employer-sponsored coverage is PRIMARY and your coverage is SECONDARY.

- If you are under age 26 and are enrolled in coverage through both parents, the parent whose birth month occurs first in the year is generally PRIMARY, and the other parent's is SECONDARY.

- If you are under 26 and married you may still be eligible for coverage by your parent's insurance. It will now become SECONDARY if you also have your PRIMARY coverage through your or your spouse's employer.

- Claims must ALWAYS be submitted to the PRIMARY insurer FIRST, even if the claim is for something that will be denied.

Have more questions about Coordination of Benefits? Ask away!

02/06/2024

Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death in the US. It is also the most preventable!

What strategies do YOU use to prevent heart disease? Which strategies do you need to include more of?

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1) Get adequate sleep
2) Move your body daily including some short bursts of high intensity movement.
3) Focus on a lower sodium, lower fat diet
4) Don't smoke or v**e - or make quitting a top priority
5) Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake
6) Find ways to reduce stress and anxiety
7) Manage existing health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea.

01/30/2024

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.
- Michael Altshuler
Time management can be a real challenge for solopreneurs.

Here are some tips as you step into the cockpit:

1) Plan your months, weeks, and days: Block out time for important daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.
2) Put yourself on the schedule: You can't pour from an empty cup. Be sure to fill yours!
3) Organize your to-do list by target end date: Today, This Week, This Month. Adjust as needed.
4) Prioritize your "Today" list before you start the day: It keeps you in the flow when you can see what comes next.
5) Let technology work for you: from scheduling appointments to planning social media posts to billing.

What strategies are you using to manage your time? Leave me a comment!

01/23/2024

When you run your own business, you have a lot to keep track of - there are plates spinning everywhere!

Some plates are easier to keep spinning than others; the tasks come more naturally to you or you enjoy them more.

What about the plate that always seems to be on the brink of falling?

1) Be intentional about building a particular skill set. You'll become more efficient and effective at keeping that plate in the air.

2) Delegate a task you aren't good at - or just don't like - to someone else. You'll decrease your stress and get the job done at the same time.

Either way, you free up precious time that can be better spent doing what you do best - Advocating for your clients!

What's your plan for that plate that's headed for the floor?
Leave a comment and let me know!

01/16/2024

Your goal this year is to run a 10K. You've haven't put on running shoes since you ran Cross Country in high school.

Will you be more successful at building the habit of running again just because you want to run?
Or are you more likely to succeed if you already think of yourself as a Runner?

Shift your focus.
Be a runner.
You're more likely to reach your goal.

Your habits shape your identity and your identity shapes your habits. - James Clear
What you practice becomes stronger. The question is: What do you want to grow? - Dr. Shauna Shapiro

What do YOU want to grow this year?

01/09/2024

Asking the questions this year: Who are you? Who do you want to become?

I'm taking a different approach to my resolutions this year. Focusing less on simply striving toward a goal and more on why I want to achieve it.

Author James Clear tells us we are more likely to achieve our goals if they match our identity, who we are.

I am a Patient Advocate. I chose this profession because I want to help people successfully navigate the health care system to get the care they need and deserve.

I have a heart for people - it's who I am.
I have a desire to help people live their best, healthiest lives, so I keep learning - it's who I am.
I want other Patient and Health Advocates to grow with me, personally and professionally - it's who I am.

My resolution this year is to connect more regularly with patients and my fellow Advocates. Connectedness is at the top of my list of strengths - it's who I am. I want to become more of that.
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Who are you? Who do you want to become?
How will you use your identity to better achieve your goals this year?

Leave a comment and let me know!

01/09/2024

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!