Advocating Health: part 2
Health Advocate can send its medical directors and expert nurses to accompany patients while they are petitioning managed care organizations for therapies that may have been previously denied. Ironically, Dr. Liebowitz was formerly the chief medical officer of U.S.
Healthcare and then Aetna U.S. Healthcare—he ought to know a thing or two about getting therapies authorized by managed care organizations! Although we could debate the merits of the entire preauthorization process, one must concede that Health Advocate’s petitioning efforts could be a particularly valuable service.
canadian pharmacy generic viagra
It is possible that Health Advocate might be able to reduce the absenteeism that is now so prevalent in the health care workplace. Many P&T committees rely on pharmacy and nursing staffs to complete their work. However, members of the “baby boom generation,” sometimes called the “sandwich generation,” have to deal with aging parents and growing families simultaneously. Health Advocate could tackle some of the attendant challenges in this social arena and might be able to improve morale in the workplace as a result.
Imagine this scenario: ABC Pharmaceutical Company brings out a blockbuster new drug with broad indications. Health Advocate sees itself as a future consumer educational portal linked to ABC. If consumers have questions about this new drug, they can simply call Health Advocate directly and receive personalized, customized information on how the new agent could affect their medical conditions. Instead of trying to reach ABC at its corporate headquarters through some lifeless 800 number, consumers would be able to talk to a real nurse who understands their medical needs in relation to the new drug.
Health Advocate might not be the answer for everyone, but I am confident that there are other interconnections with P&T committees that I haven’t considered. The firm offers a family of products, including Advocates of Excellence, Health Advocate Care Quest, Physician Locator, and The Benefits Advantage. These features are described in detail on the company’s Web site.
Health Advocate claims that its calculated savings make the company three to seven times more effective than a typical consumer or human resources staff member. To sell its products, Health Advocate uses brokers; the firm also develops relationships directly with insurers. Its product is “commission-able,” and brokers can therefore sell it as a complement to other services.
antibiotics online pharmacy
Most P&T committee members have been or will be patients at one time or another. We all know what it’s like when a key staff member is out sick for an extended period of time. We have all had to decipher prescriptions, deal with managed care complexities, and be sensitive to the needs of those who are caring for both children and parents. Perhaps Health Advocate and firms like it can be one small solution to some of these inherently vexing problems. One day, Health Advocate might be the equivalent of Good Housekeeping Magazine’s “Seal of Approval” when pharmaceutical companies launch new drugs, with the Health Advocate symbol affixed to the product packaging. Maybe leading managed care organizations will demonstrate their market sensitivity by providing health advocate services as part of their standard benefit contract language.
I don’t pretend to think that Dr. Liebowitz’s Health Advocate is the only answer to some of the aforementioned social challenges, but one has to believe that the company has uncovered an interesting niche in the health care arena.
