Stop feeling lost in healthcare.
Take back control of your well-being with a patient advocate.
What is a patient advocate?
Patient advocates help people with complex medical situations. This might include helping you:
Learn about your health. What were you diagnosed with, and what can be done about it?
Find answers to your questions. What do most people do with your condition? What does the science and research say?
Feel confident about the care you receive in the hospital, where you live, or in the doctor’s office.
Set appointments like referrals, second opinions, or visits to specialty centers - with specialists you can afford.
Find a place to stay when you need more help - like an inpatient psychiatric facility, a place to rehabilitate after surgery or illness, a detox center, an assisted living, or a long-term care (nursing home).
Prevent medical errors. Up to half of patients leaving the hospital experience a serious medical error that could have been prevented with better communication. Over 1/4 of medical malpractice cases can be traced back to a communication issue, which are reduced when the patient has an advocate.
And more, depending on your needs! Click below to read about more available services.
Who needs an advocate?
Many individuals with complex medical or social needs are great candidates for an advocate. This might include those with:
Complicated conditions (e.g., cancer, pregnancy, rare diseases, disabilities)
Undiagnosed problems
Conditions of which you’ve heard differing opinions
Trouble with thinking that makes it hard to remember things, plan, make decisions, or communicate
Busy work schedules and no time to call insurance companies (hello, parents!)
How Lost Coast Can Help
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Medical “nonsense” can be translated into words you can understand and repeat.
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We can sit-in (via phone/Zoom) and help take notes about what happened in the appointment, highlight what needs to be done next, and help remind you what you wanted to get addressed.
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Many medical errors happen in the hospital because of poor communication. Lost Coast is happy to accompany you to your hospital visits, and can check in with you and your care team every day from admission to discharge to make sure nothing gets missed.
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Sometimes, insurers can make getting the care you need more complicated. We have experience in dealing with Medicaid (Partnership, MediCal), private insurance (like Aetna or Blue Cross), dental (Delta Dental, Metlife, etc.), and Medicare. We’re also experienced in shopping for plans and getting insurance to pay with prior authorization or denial appeal.
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Having completed medical school without learning everything possible about the human experience was a great disappointment to Lauren; she’s always eager to learn more. We frequently work to find answers for those with rare diseases, cancer, dementia, autoimmune disorders, as well as common conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
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From finding a doctor or specialist to locating an assisted living facility for a loved one, an advocate can help with complicated projects.
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When someone reaches the end of their life, they often hope certain things will happen. If no plans are in place, outcomes are less sure. Lost Coast is trained and experienced in helping you express your wishes for end-of-life care or emergencies and tell the people who need to know.
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As researchers, we’re great at finding programs and services to help you meet your health goals.
In-Person and Remote Options
If you or your loved one live in Humboldt County, California, we can visit in your home, go with you to doctor’s appointments, or meet you in the hospital or emergency room without additional charge. We are available for travel for those within 400 miles of Humboldt County, at a rate of $1.40 per mile.
For those outside of this area, Lost Coast Advocacy is available over video chat, phone, and email!
About the Advocate
Lauren Wheeler is a board-certified patient advocate, former family medicine physician, and medical writer. After she graduated medical school with an MD, she entered a family medicine residency but left this program early and pivoted to became a medical writer and patient advocate.
In search of a fresh start, she moved from Kansas to Humboldt and finally found home here on the Lost Coast.
