Patient Advocate Foundation Wins Prestigious Case Management Awards

HAMPTON, Va., May 27, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping patients overcome healthcare barriers, has been awarded two Case in Point Platinum Awards by Dorland Health for its outstanding case management. The 6th Annual Case in Point Platinum Awards recognize professionals and organizations who demonstrate sustained success on behalf of patients and excellent execution providing case management services.

PAF received the top award in the category of Case Management in Managed Care Programs-Utilization Management which recognized PAF case managers who navigated complex healthcare issues to provide patients with the best possible resolution and care, with a concentration on debt relief as it applies to denials and appeals assistance. PAF's insurance denials and appeals case management team provides patients with personalized help to ensure timely prescribed care specifically when they hit healthcare barriers. In instances when a health insurer will not authorize payment for prescribed care, PAF case managers act as a liaison between patient and insurer in order to facilitate access to the needed care. During the nomination period, PAF obtained $22,207,507.73 in debt relief on behalf of patients seeking denials and appeals assistance documenting more than 26 distinct issue categories, showing PAF's capacity for successful resolution through knowledgeable, creative, and persistent efforts by experienced case managers.   

Dorland Health's Case Management Specialty Programs: Social Work Case Management Program award category acknowledges those organizations providing responsive, adaptive healthcare access initiatives to rapidly emerging health crises.  PAF also received the highest honor in this category for its work assisting recent disaster victims who faced unforeseen challenges impacting their emotional, social, physical, and financial health following a tragedy.

Through a specialized 18-month grant award, the Disaster Support Initiatives program supported by the Aetna Foundation delivered personalized assistance for those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing and the West Point fertilizer explosion that occurred in April of 2013.  To support these patient's needs, PAF adapted quickly and launched a specialized case management program to field calls by patients who had been injured in these incidents and their caregivers.  PAF swiftly trained its professional case managers, adjusted internal technology resources and databases, initiated outreach media campaigns, and most importantly, successfully served every patient who sought assistance through the program.

The 6th annual Case in Point Platinum Awards marks the third consecutive year in which Patient Advocate Foundation has received an award for their unique, patient-centric case management services. For a full list of the 2015 award winners and nominees, please visit http://www.decisionhealth.com/dorland/Platinum_Awards/.

Established in 1996, Patient Advocate Foundation assists patients who have been diagnosed with serious illness overcome healthcare access barriers. PAF provides in-depth assistance through personalized case management, financial support, and connection to critical community resources.  PAF serves uninsured and insured patients all across the country at no charge to help overcome and resolve insurance-related and financial obstacles that impact care.  PAF resolved 88,962 patient cases in 2014 company-wide.  PAF's professional case managers averaged 19.89 unique contacts per individual case, and were able to provide patients with $42,914,018 in medical debt relief.  

Patient Advocate Foundation has numerous patient-focused programs that aid seriously ill patients during their medical journey, including free case management, co-payment assistance for medications and the option to apply for specific financial grants through the financial aid fund division.  In addition, PAF offers education and guidance to all consumers nationwide through its 30+ publications and expert materials.   For more information about Patient Advocate Foundation and their mission to improve health access for all patients, visit www.patientadvocate.org or call 1 (800) 532-5274.

Aetna Foundation, Inc. is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. AET. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed more than $465 million in grants and sponsorships. As a national health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna employees, who have volunteered over 3.8 million hours since 2003. For more information, visit www.aetnafoundation.org.