Health Advocate Member Case Studies Focus on integration and engagement 2/9/17

“They took away my worries so I could enjoy this time with my mom.” Dana called her Personal Health Advocate to research a new heart specialist for her mother. Dana’s Personal Health Advocate did the research to locate quality, low-cost providers in her area and gave Dana three qualified choices within her mother’s health plan network that had availability. She then scheduled the appointment and transferred all her mother’s medical records. She also asked Dana to follow up with her after the appointment in case she wanted a second opinion. When Dana mentioned she was struggling to get her mother to eat better, her Personal Health Advocate then immediately put her in touch with a Wellness Coach. The two began working on a nutrition plan. Dana learned she could also talk to the team’s EAP Licensed Professional Counselor for help to cope with her caregiving responsibilities.

“I got help adjusting to my cancer diagnosis.” Recently diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer, Jim called Health Advocate for help finding a treatment center. Jim’s Personal Health Advocate located a treatment center, made the appointment and transferred all of Jim’s medical records. She also helped Jim prepare questions to ask ahead of his appointment and reminded Jim to call back after his appointment so they could discuss next steps. While talking to his Personal Health Advocate, he mentioned that he had been missing a lot of work and was feeling hopeless. She suggested he speak to a Licensed Professional Counselor and immediately connected him and stayed on the phone to help make the transition. During his calls with the counselor, Jim discussed his feelings surrounding his cancer diagnosis, began using coping techniques, and developed a plan to manage his work schedule.

“They helped me sort out a claim issue and stay on top of my preventive care.” Rick’s health plan rejected a claim for a new medication for his son Jonathan, who is being treated for a blood disorder. Rick called Health Advocate. Rick’s Personal Health Advocate contacted the health plan and determined they had made an error. When she contacted Rick with the good news that the claim would be reprocessed, she noticed, on her dashboard that he was overdue for his HbA1c test. Rick had received both a Healthy Reminder in the mail as well as an app notification on his phone from Health Advocate, but explained that he had been putting it off. She reminded Rick that the screening was very important to his health. He agreed, and she helped Rick make an appointment with his doctor.

“Being able to contact my nurse anytime has kept me active in my treatment.” Joan was nearing age 65 and wanted to know whether she should sign up for Medicare, even though she planned to keep working. She called Health Advocate. Joan’s Personal Health Advocate explained the various Medicare plans and the guidelines about when it’s best to sign up to avoid penalties. Using the data-supported dashboard, Joan’s Personal Health Advocate noticed that she had not filled her prescriptions recently. She then helped Joan enroll in her plan’s mail order prescription program to save money. And, when Joan admitted her asthma was not really under control, the Personal Health Advocate connected her to a registered nurse for help following her treatment plan.

“If it wasn’t for Health Advocate, I would never have known that I had these conditions.” At a recent Health Advocate biometric screening at her work, Rose discovered that her blood pressure was high and she had pre-diabetes. The onsite health coach reviewed her results and urged her to see her doctor and also contact a Personal Health Advocate who could help her take the necessary steps to get both conditions under control. Rose’s Personal Health Advocate helped her develop both a diet and exercise plan, download the app so she could track her progress, and set up text messaging so that she could receive regular reminders about upcoming tests and appointments. Six months into the program, Rose told her Personal Health Advocate that she had lost a total of 10 pounds and her blood pressure and glucose levels were back within normal range.