Insurance Representation for Securing the Best Possible Medical Treatment

Cancer – a word shrouded with stress, anxiety and fear.  Numerous questions swirl around at a dizzying pace within one’s mind.  “What will the treatment be like?  Will there be side effects? How much will treatment cost?  Will I be able to work?  Will I lose my job?  How long will the treatment process take?  Will my medical insurance cover the cost – all the costs? Will life or death be the ultimate result?”  How can any patient with this ocean of uncertainty properly advocate for himself?  Herself?  How many people really understand their medical insurance policies to begin with?

The Need for Medical Insurance Advocates

Even if a patient does understand the elements of his or her policy, with the intense amount of emotional and mental stress a diagnosis of cancer plunges a patient into, it would logically follow that the ability to focus clearly is severely minimized and constrained.  The ability to cope with the stress of scrutinizing the fine details of an insurance policy is compromised as well.  How can any patient under intense turmoil advocate efficiently for himself?  Herself? 

Elements of Advocacy

Advocacy involves some of the following elements:

1.      Attention to detail;

2.      The ability to analyze language and concepts;

3.      The ability to communicate efficiently orally and/or via the written word;

4.      The ability to sustain mental and emotional alertness for large time spans;

5.      The skills to case manage all the components associated with the subject in question, in this case the diagnosis and treatment of cancer;

6.      To recognize and cope with conflicts;

7.      To confront when necessary; and

8.      Given that this is a partial list of characteristics, an advocate must possess enough energy to follow through with the aforementioned components as well as those not mentioned.

The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy all have consequences.  Some are immediate, some are manifested late and some are long-term.

Side Effects may include some of the following, but are not limited to:

1.      Tiredness to extreme tiredness;

2.      Queasiness;

3.      Needing to regurgitate;

4.      Subtle to profound hair loss;

5.      Memory problems; and

6.      Even the occurrence of another form of cancer.

Because there are diverse dynamics involved with side effects, just which ones will emerge cannot be ascertained specifically.  Given this information, how can any cancer patient adequately advocate for himself?  Herself?  Therefore, to ensure that the cancer patient has the opportunity to receive the best medical treatment possible, the services of an objective advocate is necessary.  An advocate, who, though in the midst of the problem, is able to remain objective.  An advocate who is able to uphold the client’s as well as the client’s family’s best interests to the appropriate stakeholders, throughout the duration of the diagnostic/treatment phases.

Sources

www.qai.org.au. , written for a website, no author or date.

www.advocacystrategies.com. , written for a website, no author or date.

www.mayoclinic.com., written for a website, no author or date.

www.cancerandcareers.org.,written for a website, no author or date.