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7 years

great question! thanks for sharing it.

I do a 90 minute virtual review with clients or entire families for 400.00 that includes referrals and assessment of acute needs. If they want me to review documents and develop a medical profile and care plan with resources it is 1500. If they need in person advocacy services and the above, I charge 2500 for initial ten hrs of work then 250/hr for additional hrs. Most of my clients choose the third option as I tend to get very medically complex cases.

I do this as a part of my services and I am happy to take on custom requests.

Hey Maggie,
I get these calls as well. Based on my past experience, I've spent anywhere from 2-3 hrs with the client and family. So I quote a flat consultation fee. If they want to execute/notarize the documents, then I charge extra. Hope that helps.

Lisa, I fully agree with your perspective and appreciate you raising this important issue. As one of the “old-timers” in patient advocacy for over 12 years, I continue to work on a limited, highly selective basis, guided by an approach that prioritizes time, trust, and personal connection.

My core philosophy remains unchanged: to be a true champion for patients and their families as they navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system. Many who need advocacy simply cannot access it due to cost. For me, the greatest reward has always been human, not financial, and I do everything I can to work with Medicare clients and expand access for those who might otherwise go without support.

I also believe our services should not be excessive. I can not relate to fees of even 200.00 or more. At the same time, I respect advocates for whom this is their primary profession—they must charge fair, realistic, and justifiable rates.

I am encouraged that Umbra is helping create pathways for Medicare reimbursement. While modest, it represents an important step forward—one we should all support.

I agree Lisa, it's getting uglier indeed.

I had to Etch-a-Sketch my business model almost immediatly when I opened my independent advocacy practice. My LLC was formed in February 2020 and the world closed down in March due to Covid. But the changes I made allowed me to serve clients all over the USA remotely. Over the years my business has evolved. The unforseen changes I had to implement early, have benefited throughout the years. Being able to adapt to client's needs is something I continue with to this day.

Hi Lisa! Such a great post — thank you for sparking this conversation. When I built the documents and workflow for my practice, I found myself asking the same questions: Who is my patient population? What can I help with? Who are my partners?

The more I explored advocacy, the more I realized how broad our work truly is. We can support almost anyone, in so many different situations, and I worried that defining my services too narrowly might limit how clients see their own needs.

That’s why I offer a short, free consultation. It gives me space to ask questions clients may not think to ask, listen to their concerns, and highlight support they may not realize an advocate can provide. That brief conversation often brings clarity for both of us.

Hey everyone! My name is Marlee Nelson LM, CPM, MS. I am a midwife advocate. Please consider adding me to your referral list for clients needing support in the perinatal care, fertility, and gynecology spaces.

I currently work with Lauren Wheeler, MD as a subcontractor. Her business is Lost Coast Advocacy, LLC. We are in a rural area (Humboldt County, CA) so also bring that side of things to the table.

I love healthcare but after getting burnt out and watching the treatment many of my patients received from OB/GYNs and other healthcare providers I knew it was time to transition to something else — patient advocacy! I'm happy to be here. Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone, I’m Mary-Anne Schelb, founder of Intentional Calm. I offer life coaching grounded in the Intentional Calm Method, helping individuals and loved ones reduce stress, calm overwhelm, build resilience, and create more balance during challenging seasons of life. I’m grateful to be here and look forward to connecting with others who are passionate about supporting people with compassion, clarity, and care.

www.intentionalcalm.com/

Hi,

I'm Marilyn Kier, a BCPA located in Wheeling, IL. I'm new here and have just submitted my profile.

My business is Holistic Patient Advocates, LLC. I'm eager to connect with other advocates and look forward to working together to strengthen public awareness about the benefits of independent patient advocacy.

Leona — what a GREAT and important topic!!! Thank you so much for sharing it.

If you'd like, you may also share it as a blog post. If you need help doing so, just email me at help@gnanow.org and I'll show you how.

This is an awesome!

Thank you for sharing!

The first thing you would need to be able to answer is why that would benefit the law firm? If you can see a clear path how your service helps them — then you have a potential opportunity.

If you have a know someone who works at a law firm you want to approach, take them to coffee or lunch and ask what the firm needs most? Listen to what pain points they have that you can help fix and begin there.

Having worked in law firms, I tried to imagine what would happen if someone come into the office seeking referrals. The only thing I could envision is if you have a professional brochure of your services (you know the kind you can put in a little display) that you may be able to set that in a waiting room area where one of their clients may pick it up and reach out to you. But only after you have shown the firm — it will help the firm.

Many lawyers are hesitant to make referrals...period. (But they love receiving them.)

Not meaning to sound negative, but until you can show them how you can help them, there is little reason to have a relationship.

A good relationship will lead to good referrals. Best wishes.

Andrew, this is a GREAT question! I'm hoping our members will jump in and share some insights.

As a critical care nurse and a catastrophic care nurse case manager, I thought I knew the healthcare system, but then I became a patient and saw it from a completely different perspective.

After surviving brain cancer, I pivoted my practice to patient advocacy to help people (patients and caregivers) find the information and tools they could use to be their own best advocate. Like you, I found it eye-opening to be on the other side.

Anne

What a GREAT question, CarolAnn! I hope others will read the full question and lean into the conversation!

I'd also be super curious how many advocates were PATIENTS FIRST, then healthcare workers, now professional advocates.

Even another connection we have, patient transport. The next time we make a trip to Lexington, I am definitely going to have to make a side trip to meet in person for advocacy discussions over a cup of coffee.

Hi, Laurie! i hope folks jump in and join the conversation!

In the mean time, in case you've not used our site this way yet, here's a search specifically for 'oncology':

gnanow.org/advocates?search_type=help_text&help_text=oncology&locations=

Hi, laurie! WELCOME and thanks for making the welcome post!

two quick suggestions — if you're looking for oncology advocates to help you make connections, could I suggest either changing the title/ heading at the top of this post to clearly say that, or a new post with that specific question being SUPER clear? (If you need help putting a heading on the post, just let me know and I can do it for you.)

Second, your photo seems to have zoomed in crazy close on whatever the image was, and isn't visible. could you edit your post and replace it?

I am very familiar with PULSE but haven't considered going through them. I'll check into it. Thanks!

Nancy, this is cool!!! Thanks so much for sharing!

Do you interact with the folks at PULSE? I wonder if you might share some common ground.

Thanks for starting the thread, Andrew! We're very glad you're here.

Are there approaches you have taken to help your senior clients be able to interact with their smart devices at all? for example, to confirm appointments via text? What resources do your clients mostly find manageable — if there are any patterns you see? (would love you to edit the post and expand the thought a bit more, if you're game, in hopes of having others join in or learn from your experience!)