ABC for Health: Launches precision patient advocacy tool

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 24, 2018

Interview: Bobby Peterson: (608) 444-7197 or Brynne McBride (608) 261-6939 ext. 210

 

ABC for Health, Inc. Launches Advocus™, a “Next Generation” Precision Patient Advocacy Tool to Reduce Health Disparities

 

Madison, WI – On Monday, September 24, a Madison-based nonprofit law firm ABC for Health announced the launch of a new Precision Patient Advocacy tool called Advocus™ that screens patients for health coverage options. “We worked toward this moment for a long time,” says Bobby Peterson, ABC for Health’s founder and Executive Director. “Advocus, developed and patented over the course of the last decade is a true game-changer,” continues Peterson.

 

Peterson says, “ABC for Health’s perspective of nearly a quarter century of direct client services for people seeking access to health care and coverage informed the development of Advocus” a decision support tool that optimizes patient coverage, generates alerts, and creates a health care coverage roadmap for patients. An ABC for Health subsidiary, My Coverage Plan, Inc., developed Advocus with the support of NIH-Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) funds. Peterson continues, “My Coverage Plan, a health IT development company with a social entrepreneurial mission, uses a process we call Precision Patient Advocacy to help health care providers assist patients identify and apply the many health care coverage variables and options that impact patient access to health care coverage.”

 

“Now, ABC for Health can apply cutting edge technology to help clients of the firm and help demonstrate a deployable solution to address a painful state and nationwide problem. We can avoid many crippling medical debt and collection actions with proactive assistance to identify health coverage, rather than a reactive and punitive approach. In Wisconsin alone, hospitals identified over $1 billion in uncompensated care,” continues Peterson. “Nationwide, that number is up over $38 billion,” says Peterson.

 

Taylor Smith, Lead Developer for My Coverage Plan, Inc. notes, “Advocus works like TurboTax® and uses an interview process to gather eligibility data, optimize patient health coverage, and create a roadmap for current and future health coverage opportunities. Advocus, used by an advocate or hospital personnel, proactively engages patients to identify coverage and reduce the pain from medical debt and uncompensated care.”

 

Since 1994, ABC for Health has assisted consumers obtain and maintain health coverage. ABC for Health’s health benefits staff experts, with advanced knowledge across the broad spectrum of public and private coverage programs bring their expertise and the personal stories of over 60,000 family members assisted to My Coverage Plan’s development team. “It is only fitting that ABC for Health be first to deploy Advocus into its workflow,” continues Peterson. My Coverage Plan’s health IT tools will support ABC for Health’s Attorneys, Health Benefits Advocates and Counselors to better help clients resolve coverage questions, avoid medical debt and, says Peterson, “ultimately help low income, underserved, or disparity patients better navigate the complexities of our multi-payor health care system.” 

 

ABC for Health, Inc. is a Wisconsin-based, nonprofit, public interest law firm dedicated to linking children and families, particularly those with special health care needs, to health care benefits and services. ABC for Health’s mission is to provide information, advocacy tools, legal services, and expert support needed to obtain, maintain, and finance health care coverage and services. My Coverage Plan, Inc., founded in 2010 by Bobby Peterson, is a Wisconsin-Based for-profit subsidiary of ABC for Health. My Coverage Plan’s Advocus™ software development was made possible in part by grant number 5R44MD005810-04 from the National Institutes of Health, Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. My Coverage Plan, Inc.™, Gurulz™, Revenuz™, Advocus™. All Rights Reserved. Online at www.mycoverageplan.com  and www.abcforhealth.org

 

Brynne McBride

Chief Operating Officer

ABC for Health, Inc.

32 North Bassett Street

Madison, WI 53703

(608)261-6939 ext. 210

bmcbride@safetyweb.org

www.abcforhealth.org