How to Become a Patient Advocate
With an estimated growth rate of 7% in the next decade, patient advocates have some of the best prospects in the job market. These professionals whose mission it is to help patients tackle the complex healthcare system fulfill a crucial role. They help patients and their families to offload some of the bureaucracy stress and to instead focus on their health. If you’re curious about how to become a patient advocate and are trying to decide if it’s the career for you, keep reading.
Why Is There a Need for Patient Advocates?
People that are facing a disease or a terminal illness are at their most vulnerable. Navigating a confusing and often obscure healthcare system like what we have in the U.S. in these conditions can add so more stress. Patients usually rely on spouses, family members or friends to support them through their care, both mentally and practically. However, having by your side a person that already knows how the system works and is knowledgeable, assertive, and calm can make a world of difference. That’s where patient advocates come in.
What Does a Patient Advocate Do ?
Explaining what a patient advocate is or giving a clear-cut patient advocate definition is not an easy task. Patient advocates might be hired to assist patients in specific areas or to take care of every aspect of their health cases. Some of the patient advocate services offer support in the form of:
- Help to find the right health provider based on the patient’s needs and financial resources.
- Setting up medical appointments, taking patients to visits and making sure they follow their medical care schedule.
- Assisting clients through diagnosis and treatments, just like a family caregiver would do. They ask questions of the medical staff and make sure all the patient’s concerns are addressed.
- Translating medical terms for patients to help them take informed decisions about their own health.
- Handling insurance, co-payments, and the deductibles bureaucracy jungle. They can help in everything from choosing the best plan, to reviewing care bills, and negotiating denials of claims.
- Help to seek legal assistance in the case of medical errors, malpractices or similar.
- Advise patients on wellness and lifestyle choices to help them recover from a disease and improve their health.
- Collaborating with all the professionals involved in the patient’s care.
How to Become a Patient Advocate
Becoming a patient advocate doesn’t require a specific education path. High school diplomas can be enough to start a career in this field. However, in considering how to become a patient advocate, keep in mind that an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree,especially in the medical domain, will set you up for greater success. Already knowing exactly how healthcare systems, pathologies, diagnosis, and treatments work can really speed up your career progression.
Nursing, health-related programs, business, social work, and social science tend to be the preferred degrees by employers looking for patient advocate candidates. It’s also very common to see professionals with years of previous experience as nurses, medical assistants, medical billing clerks or social workers switching to a patient advocate career.
According to the specific area you’d like to specialize in, patient advocate trainings or internships at private companies can also be very beneficial. Non-profits are the ideal place to get free patient advocate training, while learning the job firsthand.
Although not mandatory, a patient advocate certification is a great way to improve your career prospects as well. The Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) and the Patient Advocacy Certificate Training (PACT) are just two of the most reputable in the sector.
On top of that, patient representatives also need crucial soft skills such as:
- excellent written and verbal communication
- empathy
- problem solving
- attention to detail
- organization and time management
How Much Does a Patient Advocate Make?
The median patient advocate salary is $18.16 per hour. However, how much a patient advocate makes depends on their education, experience, and location. Part of understanding how to become a patient advocate is also accounting for all these factors. Based on them you could in fact make anywhere between $15.16 and $22.60 per hour according to Monster’s earnings data. Check out Monster’s Salary Tool and find out where patient advocates are in highest demand and which skills you might want to focus on to improve your employability.
How to Find Patient Advocate Jobs
Learning how to become a patient advocate is a great start. Wondering what the next step is? Write a strong resume and match it with a cover letter. With Monster’s resume writing tips crafting the perfect piece is an easier and smoother task. Surf Monster’s resume samples and find the layout you prefer to kick off. Make sure to carefully read the job offer, it will tell you exactly which skills (or keywords), you should include in your resume to catch the recruiter’s attention.
Preparing a cover letter might seem like a chore, but trust us, it’ll be worth it. You might even be surprised how easy it is with the help of Monster’s cover letter samples. Just remember to customize them with clear references to the specific role and company you’re applying for.
Where Does a Patient Advocate Work?
When considering if and how to become a patient advocate you shouldn’t overlook an important detail such as who you would work for. Patient advocate employers may vary quite a bit. While you can be an independent contractor or self-employed, meaning you are hired directly by patients, you could also work for:
Government Agencies
In this case, patient navigators- another term for patient advocates- work in social work or human resource capacities for public funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Insurance Companies
Some insurance brokers offer patient advocate services within their coverage to help face the most serious medical cases. Their assistance is especially useful to easily navigate insurance bureaucracy and smooth claim processes.
Hospitals
A hospital patient advocate is usually hired under the hospital risk management department to prevent and resolve difficulties during treatments, thus enhancing hospital clients’ experiences.
Patient-focused Firms
These are private companies that specialize in solving healthcare, insurance, and related billing issues with the help of patient navigators for a fee paid directly by the patients. They include rehab facilities, nursing homes or private clinics.
Non-Profit Organizations
Non-profit charities and institutions such as Patient Advocate Foundation or the National Patient Advocate Foundation employ health advocates as well. Patients must be facing a serious illness and meet certain household income guidelines to be able to access management and financial aid from these organizations. The work of patient-advocates in these settings also often includes patient education and fundraising activities.
Curious where you can find patient advocate jobs? Have a look at the top five states where this profession is in highest demand:
You can also explore these U.S. metro areas:
Monster is Your Preferred Provider for Patient Advocate Jobs. Sign Up Today!
Now that all your questions about how to become a patient advocate are answered, it’s time to take action and set up a free Monster account. Upload your most recent resume and activate the customized alerts. We’ll inform you once a new job in your field is published so you can always be among the first applicants. On top of that, your profile will be visible to all the companies and recruiters browsing Monster for new hires.