What is a Patient Advocate?

Dec 19

What is a Patient Advocate?

A patient advocate is a professional dedicated to empowering individuals as they navigate the complexities of the healthcare system. Acting as a bridge between patients, healthcare providers, and insurance companies, advocates ensure patients fully understand their care options, rights, and financial responsibilities. They work to eliminate barriers, clarify processes, and offer compassionate support, fostering informed decision-making and peace of mind.

The Patient Advocate Program: Your Dental Advocate

The Patient Advocate Program (PAP) is a unique initiative designed to address the challenges patients face within the dental healthcare system. Founded by Shelbey Arevalo, a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the dental and healthcare fields, the program provides tailored guidance to patients of all ages, particularly seniors and individuals with disabilities. PAP’s mission is to create a seamless, informed, and stress-free dental care experience by bridging the gap between patients and providers.

What is a Board-Certified Patient Advocate?

A Board-Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) is a professional dedicated to assisting patients and their families in navigating the complex healthcare system. These advocates are trained and certified to ensure patients receive the care they need, help interpret medical or dental treatment plans, negotiate with providers and insurance companies, and provide guidance on patient rights. Their goal is to empower individuals by offering unbiased support, ensuring they receive ethical and effective healthcare.

The BCPA Credential and PACB Standards

The Board-Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential, administered by the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB), is a symbol of professional excellence in patient advocacy. Advocates with this credential demonstrate knowledge in healthcare systems, communication, and ethical practices, ensuring patients receive competent and compassionate care.

The PACB emphasizes best practices and ethical standards through two primary resources:

Code of Ethics: Establishes ethical principles for all patient advocates.
Competencies and Best Practices: Defines core and specialized skills essential for effective advocacy.

These guidelines ensure that certified advocates act in the best interests of their clients while maintaining transparency and integrity.

Ethical Standards We Abide By

PAP follows the PACB’s Code of Ethics, which emphasizes:

Transparency: Clear communication of scope, fees, and potential conflicts of interest.
Confidentiality: Protecting patient information with utmost care.
Autonomy: Empowering patients to make informed decisions based on their values.
Competence: Providing services within the advocate’s area of expertise and recognizing when to refer patients to other professionals.

What is a Dental Advocate?

A dental advocate specializes in bridging the gap between dental patients and providers. At the Patient Advocate Program, we focus on ensuring patients fully understand their treatment plans, helping them verify insurance benefits, and advocating for fair billing practices. We also assist in locating trusted providers, scheduling appointments, and addressing concerns related to dental procedures, costs, and alternative treatment options. Our expertise in medical-dental cross-coding further strengthens our ability to maximize patient benefits and streamline communication between dental and medical professionals.

Our Membership Programs

The Patient Advocate Program offers two membership options:

Free Membership: Access to educational resources, guides on dental treatments, and insights into navigating insurance claims.
Paid Membership ($35/month): Includes personalized assistance with insurance claims, direct communication with dental offices on behalf of patients, advocacy services, and additional services such as direct calls to insurance providers and Explanation of Benefits (EOB) reviews.

Services We Offer

The Patient Advocate Program is here to simplify the dental care journey by offering:

Scheduling Assistance: Connecting patients with qualified dental providers.
Insurance Guidance: Helping patients identify suitable insurance plans, verify coverage, and understand benefits.
Treatment Plan and Billing Reviews: Simplifying explanations of treatment plans and explanation of benefits (EOBs).
Educational Resources: Providing tools to help patients understand oral health and treatment options.

How We Make a Difference

The Patient Advocate Program takes the confusion out of dental care, offering personalized support tailored to each patient’s needs. Whether helping a senior citizen navigate Medicare dental coverage or advocating for a child with special needs treatment, PAP is committed to ensuring every patient receives equitable, transparent, and high-quality care.

Our Role in Your Healthcare Journey

PAP serves as a partner from the initial consultation to follow-up care. We:

Advocate for patient rights and fair treatment.
Offer clarity in treatment plans and financial obligations.
Educate patients about their options.
Ensure a positive, patient-centered care experience.

Affiliations and Partnerships

We proudly collaborate with industry-leading organizations, including:

Find us on:

FindAtopDoc.com - A resource to find reliable providers in any field.
Umbra Health Advocates - A resource for finding a reliable advocate in any field.
Greater National Advocates - Another resource for finding an advocate in any field nationwide.
National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants - Directory of advocates nationwide.

These partnerships reinforce our dedication to professional growth and the highest standards of patient care.

Our Mission and Goals

The Patient Advocate Program is expanding its mission by launching services within senior care facilities across California, including Chico, Roseville, Sonoma, and Auburn. Our goal is to address the widespread issue of dental neglect in senior communities by providing education, assessments, and advocacy services. We are also working on securing partnerships and grants to supply much-needed dental products and mobile dentistry options for underserved patients. Donate to Support Our Mission

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure every patient, especially seniors and individuals with disabilities, receives the dental care they deserve. We are committed to advocating for patient rights, improving accessibility to dental care, and offering an unbiased, expert perspective that puts patients first.

Our Motivation and Roots

This program was born out of firsthand experience. Our founder, Shelbey Arevalo, became the power of attorney for her father, who resides in a care facility and has faced significant challenges in obtaining timely and necessary dental care. Witnessing these struggles firsthand fueled her passion to create a program that prevents others from enduring the same difficulties. Through this initiative, we aim to eliminate barriers to care, making dental health a priority for every patient in need.

Our Expertise & Why We’re Different

With over a decade of experience in the dental industry—our "Quindecennial" milestone—we possess the insider knowledge, connections, and expertise to navigate the complexities of patient care. Our team includes specialists in medical-dental cross-coding, insurance navigation, billing consulting, and patient advocacy. Unlike providers who may have financial incentives, we are an entirely unbiased source, solely dedicated to representing the patient’s best interests.

It’s Our Pleasure to Serve

At the Patient Advocate Program, we are honored to support patients in their healthcare journeys. Whether it’s answering questions, solving insurance dilemmas, or fighting for fair treatment, our commitment is unwavering. Every patient deserves access to quality care, and we take pride in being the trusted voice that ensures they receive it. Contact Us with Your Questions

The Patient Advocate Program is driven by the mission to bridge the gap between patients and the dental care system, fostering understanding, accessibility, and positive experiences. Our goals include: