WHY SHOULDN’T I TRUST ALL THE HEALTHCARE INFORMATION I’VE BEEN GIVEN?
Real world experience shows us that in the complicated and stressful world of hospitals and healthcare, a great many things can potentially go wrong. Mistakes can range from simple miscommunication, to honest differences of opinion, all the way to serious errors and omissions, life-threatening infections and misdiagnosis.

WHY DO I NEED A PRIVATE HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE?
A private advocate can help you learn and understand some of the complex issues, terminology, technology and dilemmas associated with treatment modalities. The private advocate is working for you, and has only your best interests at heart, not those of the hospital or your insurance company. Studies have shown that the more a patient arms himself with knowledge, the better the outcome tends to be. They can be invaluable in sorting through complicated insurance issues, keeping treatments and medications on track, communicating with family, and facilitating the best possible care and outcomes.
Having an advocate on your side gives you the benefit of qualifications (in the form of practical experience, direct expertise, and real world insight), as well as practical quality control to ensure the best possible outcome for you.

ARE THEY EXPENSIVE?
When dealing with the life of your loved one and their health, this should be viewed as an investment in their well being as well as your peace of mind. Actual cost benefits could be realized during review of insurance policies.

ARE ALL PRIVATE PATIENT ADVOCATES MEDICALLY CREDENTIALED?
No. Currently anyone can call themselves a private patient advocate. It is important to find out who you are consulting. All associates of Caring Edge are credentialed in their specialty area. Many are registered nurses who specialize in highly technical areas, ICU, cardiac, oncology, orthopedic, psychiatry, medical-surgical, post-op and recovery. Others are social workers and insurance specialists. We even have homeopathic doctors as well as physicians who are affiliated with Caring Edge.
Each of these various professionals can and do play important roles to ensure our clients receive the right kind of counseling and advice on a wide range of relevant and important matters.

CAN I CANCEL AT ANY TIME?
You will never pay for services you can’t use.

WILL MY ADVOCATE BE ABLE TO ACCOMPANY ME TO DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS?
Based on your needs, we are able to sit in with your doctor appointments and discuss afterward. At your discretion, we can communicate with your family and friends about physician recommendations and test results as well as future procedures or other concerns. We tailor our services to meet your wishes.

DOES THIS CONFLICT WITH MY DOCTOR’S CARE?
Having an experienced and qualified advocate as an integrated part of the care team can be as vital and helpful to the physician as to the patient and their family.
Helping patients understand procedures and medical terminology can be immensely important. All people who find themselves faced with an emergency or critical situation will ideally become knowledgeable or have someone who can become knowledgeable in the treatments and options as they arise. In addition, being able to help patients cope with the often intimidating and unpredictable physical environments of hospitals and medical venues can be a vital asset to all concerned.