Patient Advocacy Services in Humboldt County, CA and Beyond
How can an advocate help you?
An advocate’s job is to make the healthcare part of your life easier. Lauren is trained as a doctor and board certified as an advocate, so here are a few ways we can help:
Understanding a disease. Having completed medical school without learning everything possible about the human experience was a great disappointment to Lauren; so she’s always eager to learn more. We frequently work to find answers for those with rare diseases, cancer, dementia, or autoimmune disorders, as well as common conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
Getting the most out of your appointments. Whether you are interviewing a new midwife or following-up with the seventh specialist this month, an advocate can help make the most of the limited time you have with the provider.
Decoding your records. Medical “nonsense” can be translated into words you can understand and repeat.
Staying safe in the hospital. Many medical errors happen in the hospital because of poor communication. Lost Coast can check in with you and your care team every day from admission to discharge to make sure nothing gets missed.
Finding care. From finding a doctor or specialist to locating an assisted living facility for a loved one, an advocate can help with complex projects.
Managing insurance. 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 getting insurance to pay with prior authorization or denial appeal.
Planning. 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.
Crossing cultural gaps. We are trained in providing culturally competent care to people of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. If you feel that your values are lost in the business of the clinic and hospital, we can help be sure your wishes are honored. As part of the LGBT community, Lauren values and accepts people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
Care management. Lost Coast will coordinate details, information, and referrals between places to prevent important items from falling through the cracks. This is especially important in times of transition, like when individuals first begin living independently, release from prison, leaving active duty, or when there's a new diagnosis (e.g., cancer or multi-organ system involvement), or even when moving. Let us wade through the healthcare bureaucracy with you!
Appointment accompaniment. 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.
Decision support. We can help you find your values and make decisions about items like how to proceed in your care.
Referrals. If you need more support than you are getting, we love finding and recommending government programs, nonprofit organizations, or paid services that may be of help. (though we NEVER accept commission for these)
For Humboldt County Locals
Lost Coast can do all of the above, plus:
Meet you in person where you live - we love housecalls!
Sit with you in person at your doctor appointments (as well as other meetings). We will take notes and make sure your voice is heard.
Visit you in the emergency room, hospital, rehab, nursing home, or hospice. We work with every facility in the region.
Tour assisted living and rehab facilities. Imagine being in the hospital and being told that you need to go to a skilled nursing facility. We can help you both understand what that is and pick one that matches your values.
Deal with the unique issues of accessing the services you need in our rural county. This includes connecting you to resources, working with your insurance, researching who can help you here, and more.
How to Work with Lost Coast
1. Schedule a free consult call and see if we’re a fit for each other.
A free 15-20 minute call can let us get to know each other and find out if we can work well together. We'll chat about whatever problems you face with healthcare and potential options for improving the situation. When we decide to work together, you’ll be sent a service agreement to sign which tells you everything Lost Coast Advocacy can and can’t do, how payment, privacy, and communication will work, and more.
2. Intake appointment and paperwork.
Our next meeting is called “intake.” During an intake appointment, we discuss your medical issues and how they affect your life. We make a plan, based on YOUR wants, and discuss how many hours may be needed (hourly fee applies). You’ll be asked questions about you, your health, your current problems, and existing support systems.
3. Ongoing service with regular check-ins.
It’s important to stay in touch throughout this health journey, so we will meet on a regular basis, whether in-person or over the phone, to ensure we’re on the same page each step of the way. These check-ins keep us on track and ensure that you’ll always be in charge of your care.
4. Saying “goodbye for now.”
Eventually, we usually reach a point where you no longer need our services because things are going well. Hooray! This is always the goal, and we’ll always be around if you need something again one day.
Read our patient advocacy whitepaper here.
Ask Lost Coast About Speaking!
Lauren Wheeler is available to speak to your group about empowerment, staying safe in the hospital, and other topics through the Care Partner Project.