Greater National Advocates Blog

My name is Karen Mercereau, RN, iRNPA, and I have been working with patients as an independent RN Patient Advocate for 18 years now. Amazing experience. I would like to tell you about one of my patients now: The Facts: 65 yo male diagnosed with...

We are now in the throes of the holiday season, and I’m wishing this finds you well. This is the time of year when we typically attend holiday parties, eat holiday foods, drink holiday drinks, and lose sleep due to the holiday hustle and bustle...

As patient advocates, our primary foc us must always be on the needs of our patient/client. This usually requires us to interface with spouses, siblings/children, family and friends, as well as the complex team of providers including physicians...

Your mailbox is flooded with literature urging you to sign up for a different Medicare plan. Your insurance company has sent its annual notice, telling you about the changes in your policy for 2021. And your head is spinning, because you don’t...

Between the pandemic and the election, we are all more concerned about our health insurance than ever before. The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”). In addition...

Efforts to control the spread of the virus have forced hospitals to severely limit access to patients once admitted. This is true whether or not the patient has been infected by the virus. Overworked staff barely keep their head above water just...

The holiday season has officially begun and people all over the world have started preparing for Christmas. It is a magical time of year, filled with holiday get-togethers, hot cocoa, baking, tree-lightings, shopping, and other festivities. While...

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. In America today, almost everyone knows at least one person who has diabetes. The Center for Disease Control informs us that 34.2 million Americans have diabetes and 88 million adult Americans have pre...

Hopefully, you have been fortunate enough to never have heard the word “cholangiocarcinoma” come from the lips of a doctor or a loved one. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same… What in the world is Cholangiocarcinoma? Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare...

The American Cancer Association reports that aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women. In 2020, over 325,000 new cases of breast cancer in the US are expected to be diagnosed in women. In the U.S.,1 of...

If you hire a patient advocate they will want to know what insurance you have and help you take advantage of all the features available that might help you in your situation or help you find insurance that is a better fit. Reasons to change your...

It’s complicated and it can be frustrating. Fortunately, as these examples and suggestions illustrate, there are many things you can do to gain control and reduce worry. Consider these three recent client examples… #1. Mr. Smith He has significant...

Perhaps you are given a diagnosis that just doesn’t seem right for you. Perhaps your symptoms don’t add up to what your healthcare provider told you. Or...maybe you were diagnosed with a rare disease and not offered much in the form of treatment...

This is part 3 in a series of blogs related to chronic illness. The names have been changed but the stories are real. Did you know you can have a chronic disease but have no symptoms? We react to the obvious warning signs and symptoms (like a...

Has your insurance company ever denied any of your claims? Have you received medical bills stating that you are responsible for the full cost of services rendered? Have you ever been told after receiving medical care, imaging, or lab work that it...