Written by New Benefits.
You’re wrapping up your annual physical when the doctor says she found a slight irregularity with your heartbeat and wants you to get an ECG. She refers you to a local cardiologist. You get the procedure done. Then you get a bill for $2,000 a few weeks later. What went wrong?
Just because your in-network doctor refers you to a specialist doesn’t mean the specialist is in your network. And even if they are, in-network providers can vary by 300% or more in cost for the exact same procedure.
That’s where healthcare advocacy comes in.
What is Healthcare Advocacy?
Health advocacy services navigate your insurance benefits to find the highest quality and lowest cost healthcare options in your network. By optimizing your network, health advocacy benefits can mean the difference in a $2,000 ECG versus $50 for the same procedure.
67% of respondents to a healthcare literacy survey did not realize they could compare service costs before receiving care. As a patient, health advocacy makes you a smarter healthcare consumer through access to healthcare experts and price transparency tools. You’ll experience lower out-of-pocket costs and better medical outcomes. Because of this, employers will have healthier, happier employees and lower overall healthcare costs.
What do Health Advocates Do?
Access to a health advocacy concierge is like having a healthcare expert in your back pocket. Health advocates are just a call away to answer insurance questions, explain and coordinate care options, and provide guidance through healthcare concerns.
Health advocates also serve as skilled negotiators to review medical bills, resolve errors, and arrange for better discounts or payment arrangements.
Health Advocacy and COVID-19
More than 40% of Americans have delayed or avoided medical care as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once employees are ready to re-schedule their appointments and procedures, healthcare costs are likely to skyrocket. Unless you have health advocacy benefits.
Health advocacy services will help prevent escalating healthcare costs for both employers and employees. Twenty-three percent of brokers are planning to introduce advocacy services to their clients to meet this growing demand. Get ahead of the issue by adding health advocacy to your employee benefit offerings now.
