How patient advocates help navigate a complicated health care system

In the U.S. health care industry, the costs associated with medical care are continuing to rise as insurance premiums soar. As such, 41% of American adults report having debt due to medical or dental costs. And, if you add all that debt up, Americans collectively owe $220 billion in outstanding medical bills.

However, there are resources out there to help with some of that debt, and there are people willing to help patients find them. Among them is Beth Scott, the director of case management at the Patient Advocate Foundation in Hampton, Virginia. She’s been working there for more than ten years, helping patients navigate the complicated health care system.

“It's not an easy job because all of our patients are sick,” Scott said. “All of them are calling at the worst time of their life. They may have just been diagnosed. They may have been diagnosed a couple of years ago and they've run out of their funds. So it's not an easy job, but we do have wins.”

Listen in the player above to hear more about how patient advocates work with patients to find whatever assistance they can.