Elder law is an important practice area for Rebecca W. Geyer and Associates. Elder Law deals with the complex health, long-term care, and estate planning issues faced by elderly and disabled individuals and their families. Early on, we discovered that many of our clients needed assistance which extended beyond the legal aspects of planning.
When you’re dealing with a health crisis, the challenge of resolving all the medical bills and dealing with all the paperwork generated by the health care system can be overwhelming. Often adult children live far away and cannot offer budgeting assistance or review bills. For today’s blog, we’re recapping our blog team’s interview with Sharon Gall, owner of My Billing Advocate.
Ronnie: What are some signals that indicate a senior could use help from a medical billing advocate, and what services do you actually provide?
Sharon Gall: We help organize the medical paperwork. We compare your medical bills to their corresponding insurance explanation of benefits. We make sure your insurance has processed all claims according to your plan benefits. If your insurer denied a claim for something you thought would be covered, our team researches the issue and works with your medical provider and/or the insurance company to make any wrongs right.
Ronnie: What professional background and training do medical billing advocates receive?
Sharon Gall: We have extensive medical billing and coding experience, and continually study the new healthcare regulations and coding changes that occur each year. My Billing Advocate is a proud member of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates and of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Ronnie: A senior doesn’t need to have been in the hospital in order to need help managing all the financial paperwork, right? What about elders residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes?
Sharon Gall: Reviewing nursing home bills is a very big part of what we do at My Billing Advocate. First of all, Medicare may categorize things differently, causing elders to have unnecessary out of pocket costs. Some nursing homes may charge as much as $250 when the senior’s monthly payment has not come in on time. As independent patient advocates, our entire focus is on getting the client the benefits he or she deserves and saving the elders – and their adult children – a lot of hassle, worry, and unnecessary expense.
The elder law attorneys at Geyer Law have the experience and expertise to help avoid the financial ruin that can be associated with high health care costs. For ongoing budgeting assistance and daily financial management, we often refer clients to medical billing advocates.
