Breaking Good: Could Walter White Have Been Saved By Patient Advocacy?
The series “Breaking Bad” kept TV audiences (including myself) enthralled with all the twists and turns—all fueled by the main character, Walter White, being diagnosed with terminal cancer that supposedly was only treatable...
No Place For Quitters on the Care Team
Don’t quit on my client. It may be emotionally healthy for a patient or the patient’s family to accept the diagnosis of a life-altering chronic disease. But from my perspective as a patient advocate, it is never healthy for a doctor to tell a...
Are They REALLY Medical Bills?
So you or your loved just received a medical bill from a doctor or facility that you recently visited. Your first inclination may be to assume that your insurance was billed, paid their portion, and now you are being billed for your part of the...
That Glorious Last Summer: A Patient Says No to Chemo
It never ceases to amaze me that some people do not realize they have the absolute right to make their own healthcare choices even if everyone else thinks it’s the wrong choice. Once they recognize that every medical option is theirs to accept or...
Happy For Some Time Off? Sometimes, It's Not Your Choice
You love having a day off work, and on occasion, it's unplanned, such as a weather day, technical problems, or taking care of a sick child. However, when it becomes a personal health issue, you may not enjoy hearing the words: "you need to stay...
Managing Along the Health Continuum
We have many older adult clients (defined as those over the age of 80) who began working with us 10-15 years ago. At this point, we have taught them and their family members to pay close attention to subtle changes in health status and to notify...
Two Portals Worth Knowing About
I thoroughly enjoy mentoring young professionals. When I do, I emphasize the power of networking and suggest they identify approaches for staying in touch with fabulous people they meet along the way. This newsletter, Healthassist News, is an...
Why Are You Involved?
As a nurse advocate, I recently returned to taking clients on in my practice. My role is to help coordinate care, break down barriers, and find the resources my patients need to address their healthcare needs. I work with all members of the...
Maximizing the Capability of a Loved One With Dementia Benefits Everyone
Editors Note: This is a guest blog by Anthony Cirillo that was originally published on July 2, 2021 on sixtyandme.com/maximizing-cognitive-capability-dementia. You can learn more about Anthony and Carol Amos, who is the subject of this blog, at...
The Ovarian Cancer Chronicles Part 6: The Bottom
Editor's note: This is part 6 in a series of introspective blogs written by Antra Boyd, iRNPA detailing her personal journey as an Independent Patient Advocate and recurrent ovarian cancer patient. You didn’t think I was going to skip “the bottom...
The Ovarian Cancer Chronicles Part 5: Chinese Medicine
Editor's note: This is part 5 in a series of introspective blogs written by Antra Boyd, iRNPA detailing her personal journey as an Independent Patient Advocate and recurrent ovarian cancer patient. I am in Colorado. I jumped right off the plane...
The Ovarian Cancer Chronicles Part 4: Alternatives?
Editor's note: This is part 4 in a series of introspective blogs written by Antra Boyd, iRNPA detailing her personal journey as an Independent Patient Advocate and recurrent ovarian cancer patient. I had a pelvis and abdominal MRI in one sitting...
The Ovarian Cancer Chronicles Part 3: The Second Opinion
Editor's note: This is part 3 in a series of introspective blogs written by Antra Boyd, iRNPA detailing her personal journey as an Independent Patient Advocate and recurrent ovarian cancer patient. I got a second opinion. It surprised me. The...
The ABCs of EOBs
Has ANYONE ever looked at an EOB (Explanation of Benefits) and thought “oh, this is easy to understand?” I bet very few people would say that. EOBs are definitely not written in plain language. There are codes, there are a bunch of numbers in...
The Ovarian Cancer Chronicles Part 2: Scanxiety
Editor's note: This is part 2 in a series of introspective blogs written by Antra Boyd, iRNPA detailing her personal journey as an Independent Patient Advocate and recurrent ovarian cancer patient. It’s called “Scanxiety” when you get really...