Paying for Private Health Advocacy
Navigate Your Health thanks Paige Lennox, BSN, RN, a Health Consultant at Canadian Health Advocates Inc., for this month’s guest contribution.*
First things first – your health is the most important asset you have. In many cases it pays to invest some money to ensure you, or your loved one, receive the best health care the Canadian system can provide.
If your car breaks down you bring it to a mechanic – an expert. When you go to sell your home you find a real-estate broker to ensure you get the best price. Likewise it makes sense to invest some money to ensure you get the best results from our healthcare system.
The medical system is over stretched, and becoming more so as Baby-Boomers flood the system with their aging bodies. In such circumstances it is quite easy for patients to ‘fall through the cracks’ and not receive the best care that was possible. Paying to have an expert guide you through the often confusing array of procedures and treatments, makes a lot of sense.
For example, how can you be sure if
You are not missing something vitally important?
You have been properly diagnosed?
You have been told about all your treatment options?
You have been fully informed about your condition?
When sick or debilitated, it can be difficult to determine how to get the best from the healthcare system. Stressing about these unknowns can make your health condition much worse, and it isn’t necessary.
A private Health Advocate (HA) can help you deal with the healthcare system, so you can rest easy in the knowledge that you are receiving the best care possible.
What Is a Private Health Advocate?
A private Health Advocate is an individual working on your behalf to support your health needs. CHAI Health Advocates help you navigate the maze of providers, tests, and treatments you will encounter while ill. They support you in making informed choices and in gaining access to the all resources you need to recover your health.
Why Would You Pay for Someone to Do This?
The Canadian healthcare system provides basic care at no cost to you, but this does not include the services and support of a Health Advocate. Otherwise known as a Healthcare Navigator or Patient Advocate they are experts on navigating the healthcare system.
In the best of all possible worlds, the system would provide a health professional to oversee and manage your care to ensure all your needs are met. Unfortunately, the Canadian health-care system simply does not have the resources available for this. In fact, the system is significantly overstretched and the level of care available is limited and basic.
A Health Advocate can help you deal with this overstretched system, so you get the best possible care, in the timeliest fashion, for either you or for your loved ones.
Hiring an HA – One of the Best Investments You Will Ever Make
The cost you’ll pay for a Health Advocate will depend upon your circumstances. That said, the vast majority of individuals hiring an HA discover the investment is well worth it. Many clients say they cannot imagine how they would have coped without their Advocate by their side.
Many Canadians do not want to pay for healthcare and believe that it is their right to get quality care. Yet, without some type of support, you are unlikely to get the most out of your doctors and medical professionals. This is why so many people are turning to a fee-for-service Health Advocate.
My thanks to Paige for these insights into how a Health Advocate can help Canadians get more from our healthcare system. If you would like to connect with Paige, you can send her an email her or visit her website.
You Don’t Have to Journey Alone!
*This article, originally published February 8, 2019, is republished with permission from Paige Lennox, BSN, RN.