Patient Advocacy
Frequently Asked Questions
Let us guide you through the complex healthcare and insurance systems
to get the best possible results.
A patient advocate helps and supports patients and families with navigating the growing complexities of our healthcare system that is too often confusing, frustrating and frightening.
The services advocates can provide include:
- Help and improve communication between patients, families and providers
- Assist patients transition from hospitals to home or extended care
- Organize medications and make sure patients understand their medications
- Provide resources and research to help patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options
- Organize and summarize medical records and tests and help patients understand the results
- Assist patients in obtaining a second opinion
- Accompany patients to appointments
- Help families with the overwhelming task of caring for aging parents and other loved ones
- Explore health insurance options and explain policies. Assist with insurance claim errors, denials and appeals
Hospitals, insurance companies and even pharmacies often hire patient advocates or navigators. They work for the health plan or for the organizations that hire them. Patient Advocacy MD works for you. You are our client not the hospital, doctor, pharmacy or other third party. While they may provide assistance they do not provide the range of services that we do.
- A healthcare coach is not a psychotherapist. A healthcare coach is not a mental health expert and focuses on enhancing health rather than diagnosing and treating disorders. We focus on exploring the present and future and the action steps to achieve wellness and a health lifestyle rather than on focusing on and healing the past.
- A healthcare coach is not a life or executive coach. We focus on health related issues and how you can envision, seek, implement and sustain behavioral changes toward a healthy lifestyle. We do not focus on enhancing leadership skills in business or organizational settings.
- We provide resources and information but do not diagnose or provide health recommendations. A healthcare coach provides the support and an optimal environment to hold the client accountable as they develop, put into action and maintain healthy behavior change.
No. We do not accept any fees or commission from outside providers, health care agencies or other service and product companies.
No. Patient Advocacy MD is a private patient advocacy and healthcare coaching company. Our services are not covered by insurance.
I, Georganne Vartorella MD, am a board certified physician of internal medicine and had a successful practice in primary care. I received my undergraduate and medical school degree from Georgetown University and completed a residency program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. I have continued my education with course work in patient advocacy at UCLA and recently completed the Integrative Health Coach Training Program at Duke University Integrative Medicine in Durham North Carolina. My team at Patient Advocacy MD are seasoned healthcare professionals.
I speak both the language of the patient and the language of the medical and healthcare profession, serving as a bridge that optimizes your ability to successfully navigate your healthcare and wellness.