The answer is probably yes if you've had an operation or been hospitalized. What this person does is go through your medical bills with a fine-tooth comb and determine whether charges are legitimate or if you have been over-billed for services or drugs not rendered. Even patients covered by Medicare and a supplemental policy can find themselves owing big bucks. A patient advocate will also negotiate a payment, critical if you have no health insurance. Hospitals routinely charge non-insured patients way more than the price health insurance companies and Medicare have negotiated. Your advocate gets paid a percentage of what they save.
Will the Affordable Care Act change things? Probably not for this aspect of health care, though more of us may be covered. This will help those RVers who are traveling now without insurance- perhaps because they lost their job and coverage (or were never covered) or have a pre-existing condition and haven't been able to find coverage or coverage that is affordable. However, if you have a medical crisis or accident, you may find yourself dealing with tons of paperwork and page upon pages of charges.
You can read more about patient advocates at MercuryNews.com. You can also read related articles about health care at RVLifestyleExperts.com. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
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