Healthcare Advocacy: Questions Employers Need To Ask

What Is Healthcare Advocacy?

Advocacy encompasses any activity related to ensuring access to care, navigating the healthcare system, leveraging resources, or addressing health inequities. Health partners like Anthem use this benefits strategy to offer dedicated advocates that focus on proactive, whole-health solutions tailored to the unique needs of each member. These advocates simplify healthcare access for individuals and their families, helping them to achieve better health outcomes while decreasing cost of care. 

What Employers Need To Know

The right advocacy program connects individuals and families to care and guides them through the healthcare system, informed by how social drivers of health (SDoH) impact them. Understanding the features of a healthcare advocacy program is the first step. An effective advocacy solution should answer the following questions:

• Comprehensiveness: Does the advocacy solution provide condition-specific guidance and assist in healthcare decision making? An advocate-led care team can include medical directors, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, exercise physiologists, pharmacists, health coaches, social workers, oncology experts, and registered dietitians, to name a few. This helps ensure crucial elements like targeted care planning, benefit navigation, and continuous support.
• Digital resources and tools: What digital tools are available to make it easier for employees to connect with health advocates? Look for single entry point solutions that streamline the member experience and boost participation. User-friendly apps like the SydneySM Health app empower members to access and explore healthcare options at any time.
• Member experience and engagement: Does the solution offer a streamlined process to boost member engagement? Advocacy programs that treat members like a partner make a big difference. These programs tend to elevate the member experience through increased treatment adherence, improved self-management skills, and increased connections to important benefits and community resources.
• Data utilization: How does the advocacy program assess effectiveness? Condition-agnostic analytics and reporting can effectively assess a member's whole health. These insights help health partners, like Anthem, pinpoint the most beneficial support and services for members.
• Provider partnerships: How well does the program work with care providers to ensure a holistic and seamless approach to employee well-being? Strong relationships between care providers and advocates can lead to reduced gaps in care and enhanced member well-being.
• Integration capability: Does the solution integrate smoothly with existing health plans and wellness platforms? Advocates should be able to get an overall picture of a person’s health activities, history, care provider visits, and medications. 

Our Total Health Connections model integrates clinical, digital, and human concierge support, offering seamless whole-health care.* We identify risks early and deliver personalized outreach, guiding employees to quality providers and nurturing a personalized experience. 

Advocacy solutions can significantly impact your organization's healthcare approach by offering whole-health support to employees. By evaluating the essential elements, you can foster a healthier, more engaged workforce and make informed decisions that benefit everyone.

* Total Health Connections is available for clients with 1,000+ subscribers, WGS, and ASO only.