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What Health Advocates Need to Know about the Affordable Care Act

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It’s official and it’s not going away. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as healthcare reform, or the ACA, is changing the face of healthcare for every American. The first changes became effective shortly after its passage in 2010. New parts of the law will continue to be implemented until January 1, 2014 when the biggest part of the law, the individual mandate, will ensure (almost) every American has some form of insurance or government coverage to pay for the care they need. Are you, as an independent health advocate, prepared for those changes? Even further, are

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Health Advocacy and Healthcare Reform

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If you know and understand healthcare reform in the United States, please raise your hand and shout “I do!” <<hmm… I hear crickets…>> That’s right. There is no one who understands it, including Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary of Health and Human Services), or Donald Berwick (nominated to lead CMS). It’s too complex, too long and frankly – just plain daunting. But we are healthcare professionals. We make our livings understanding healthcare systems. So if we are confused by the complexity of healthcare reform, just imagine how patients and caregivers feel! Add to that all the changes going on at the state

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Preparing Patients for Primary Care Troubles

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Good primary care physicians are becoming harder and harder to find. You may not have noticed it yet, but I predict that a year from now we’ll find it almost impossible to find primary care doctors who are willing to take on new patients – at least any primary care doctor worth seeing won’t be doing so. Smart patients AND their advocates know that today is THE day to be sure they have good relationships established with primary care doctors. Why? Two major reasons: First comes the fact that medical students spend some time in school, then choose their specialty

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What’s the Difference Between a Patient Advocate and a Geriatric Care or Case Manager?

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One of our APHA members asked me about these differences a day or two ago… So I thought I would share my reply with you. She had called on a nursing home to see if they had interest in recommending her services to the families of some of its residents. The nursing home director replied that they had a team of geriatric case managers they worked with – and asked what services she, the patient advocate, could provide that GCMs could not. Since she really couldn’t come up with a useful answer, she asked me if I knew the differences

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Medicaid Policy Alert: 12 Facts You Need to Know About Medicaid

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As Washington, D.C. changes hands following the 2024 election, every aspect of health policy is potentially poised for change. One program that has drawn attention in the early days of the new administration is Medicaid. Many middle- and upper-class Americans assume Medicaid has nothing to do with them, but the program’s scale and reach is vast. As patient advocates, it’s important to know at least the basics of our healthcare system. Here are 12 facts about Medicaid that every patient advocate should know: Current U.S. health policy may be in flux, but the core building blocks of the healthcare system

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5 Social Media Strategies For Patient Advocates To Grow Their Practice

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social media platform logos

As a patient advocate, there’s no way around needing familiarity with major social media platforms—such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter). However, just being on these platforms isn’t enough. You have to leverage these tools to their full potential. Social media offers a powerful means to reach new clients, share valuable insights, and build a professional reputation in the patient advocacy field. We’ll help you think about strategies to maximize the impact of these platforms. In this article Choosing the Right Platforms Social media platforms are not all the same. Some may fit you and help

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How Patient Advocates Can Build a Thriving Practice: A Strategic Guide

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Starting and growing a patient advocacy practice requires more than just passion—it takes a smart approach to marketing. Many new advocates struggle with finding clients. They ask, “How can I get more business?” or “What am I doing wrong?” You may not be doing anything wrong; but you might just need to rethink how you market your services.  The Marketing Challenge New patient advocates often feel frustrated by slow growth. You no doubt care deeply about helping others, but you may not know how to market your services effectively. Many advocates join professional groups like the Alliance of Professional Health

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What’s Wrong with This Picture? Creating Confusion by Sending the Wrong Message

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My social media of choice is Twitter. I’ve been a “Tweep” since 2008, although that includes years of no Twitter during the craziness of politics and elections when I find my blood pressure boiling way too frequently. There are lots of advocates who are also Twitter people. Those I know about I follow. When it makes sense I “retweet” what they’ve said to help them amplify their voices – a bit of a marketing boost, I hope! So you can imagine my surprise when I found this Twitter post the other day: Whoa! Say what? I contacted the advocate who

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Aha! Finding Great Ideas to Inspire Your Practice

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At least a half dozen times in the past few weeks I’ve been asked what it was that compelled me to start The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, and the AdvoConnection Directory. It occurs to me that even if you are a member, you may not know the story, or, even more importantly, how it can affect the work you do, too. The story is a classic “aha!” moment story – using experiences to identify a way forward – in this case, starting a new service and business. Some of you know that my two early careers were first, classroom

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What Exactly is Independent Patient Advocacy? (Curious Minds Want to Know!)

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reading CSA article

This post will be short(er) and sweet(er)than usual – because your time will be better spent reading something else – linked below. And here’s why: You may be familiar with CSA: The Society of Certified Senior Advisors. It’s a wonderful organization that not only teaches professionals the best practices of working with older adults, but then provides ongoing certification and education to be sure they stay current. APHA and CSA have been aligned and affiliated for more than a decade. (Not familiar? Learn more: www.CSA.us ) CSA publishes a print journal once per quarter – an award-winning journal of excellent,

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