As we start to gain some insights on the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that the need to be prepared for an emergency hospitalization is very important. Equally important, is to have a conversation with your loved one, friend, or private patient advocate who will be your main contact person during the hospitalization. Think hard about who you want that to be. It should be someone who is committed to assisting you in understanding what is going on in the hospital and is not afraid to ask the important questions as well as challenge the situation and completely understand what your wishes are.

There is a concern that people are not getting the healthcare they need in a timely manner due to fears about getting the COVID-19 virus in the emergency room (ER). It seems people think they need to avoid the ER because it is overcrowded with COVID-19 cases or they fear contracting the virus.

This is an understandable fear but the statistics are very concerning to me as a patient advocate, whose mission it is to ensure people get the best healthcare at the right time. A recent survey of nine major hospitals earlier this month showed that the number of severe heart attacks being treated in U.S. hospitals had dropped by nearly 40% since this pandemic started. This has led to physician’s being concerned that patients are not going to the ER for an emergency and are waiting too long to get attention, which could lead to more permanent damage or worse.

Another alarming statistic is that EMT’s in New York City reported a quadrupling of house calls for cardiac symptoms between March 30 and April 5.

April 7, 2020, is the day to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives and remind world leaders of the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy. Nurses and other health workers are at the forefront of COVID-19 response - providing high quality, respectful treatment and care, leading community dialogue to address fears and questions and, in some instances, collecting data for clinical studies. Quite simply, without nurses, there would be no response.

I have never been so proud to be a nurse then in this COVID-19 pandemic as I watch these selfless heroes care for patients in the most challenging and scary time.

As we get deeper into the coronavirus pandemic in our country, we, as patient advocate’s are trying to do our best to stay on top of all the breaking news. We have been contacting our clients to make sure they understand what is going on and have a plan in place should they develop symptoms. We are providing our services 24/7, should they have any questions during this challenging time. We are checking in with their primary physicians to see what their plan is so we are all prepared. We invite everyone to have a plan in place should you need medical attention. We all want to contain this virus so follow the instructions for self-isolation and quarantine when sick.

This breaking news is excellent and will allow more freedom for practitioners to assist and triage potential coronavirus cases using Telehealth. Read the frequently asked questions and the provider fact sheet below to learn more.

If you feel bombarded by the TV news, take a break.

As nurse patient advocates and insurance advocates here at Healthlink Advocates, we get regular calls from people shocked by an unexpected and often very large surprise medical bill.  We have had clients call about a $500,000 air ambulance bill.  A $450,000 hospital bill after the patient paid $90,000 upon admission and was told that the employer self-funded plan covered everything after paying

 Medical Bankruptcy

 It is no wonder that medical bills are the number one reason for bankruptcy in his country.