While any patient advocate will help in navigating through
tough medical struggles, both at home and in the hospital, it is important to
note that there is often times a level of loyalty toward the wishes of whoever
is ‘footing the bill,’ so to speak.
For instance, an insurance appointed advocate will likely
have some level of the insurance company’s interests in mind. While it is
unlikely they would ever provide bad or dangerous advice for the patient, they
will likely have the reduction of cost to the insurance company in mind.
Advocates can also be appointed by the hospital itself, but
they may also have their own goals in mind. Many hospitals receive a small
penalty for patients being readmitted to the hospital within a certain period,
and a hospital appointed advocate may have this or other things in mind when
recommending a course of action.
While the difference may be slight, being the sole employer
of a patient advocate does insure that their allegiances lie solely with the
patient and their families. Perhaps just receiving a consultation from a
private advocate to supplement your appointed advocate would suffice, but it is
definitely something to keep in mind.
