Patient Power USA is a national consumer protection group. We help individuals and families save money. Plus, we provide the assistance they need to take control of their healthcare and health insurance.
Membership includes personal healthcare assistance, cost-saving strategies, educational resources, insurance and claims assistance, patient advocacy and an opportunity to be part of a collective voice for healthcare reform .
The goal is straightforward:
Help patients understand their healthcare, reduce unnecessary costs and have an expert — a personal champion — in their corner when they need help navigating the healthcare system.
Healthcare has become increasingly complicated and expensive.
Even people who have health insurance can face:
- High premiums and deductibles
- Unexpected medical bills
- Insurance denials
- Confusing coverage rules
- Narrow provider networks
- Difficulty finding affordable specialists
- Expensive prescriptions
- Billing errors
- Difficulty getting answers from insurance companies
- Confusion about what to do when something goes wrong
Patient Power USA was created to help consumers fight back and deal with those challenges every step of the way — with education to help avoid problems, expert help when something goes wrong, and support after problems are addressed.
The idea is simple:
You shouldn't have to navigate the healthcare system alone.
When you have a healthcare problem, we give you access to experts you can contact by phone, email or text who can help you figure out what to do — and actually help you carry out the recommended steps.
What's different about Patient Power USA? We provide you both the information and the assistance you need to help you save money and deal with your healthcare challenges. That distinction is central to the Patient Power USA membership.
Because the value of Patient Power USA isn't simply information.
It is having someone in your corner — a personal advocate.
If you have a healthcare problem, you don't necessarily have to figure everything out yourself.
Your advocate can help you:
Find the right provider.
Find a potentially less expensive option.
Understand your insurance.
Deal with a denied claim.
Communicate with an insurance company.
Find a specialist.
Schedule an appointment.
Challenge a medical bill.
Reduce prescription costs.
Figure out what to do next.
And unlike a website that simply tells you where to look, the Patient Power USA model is designed to provide personal, hands-on assistance through phone, email and text.
That is our core value proposition.
Patient Power USA gives you someone in your corner when you have to deal with the healthcare system.
Your personal Health Advocate can help you understand what is happening, figure out what can be done, and — where appropriate — help execute the solution.
You don't have to spend hours on your own, figuring out which specialist to call, searching for an affordable provider, trying to understand an insurance denial or fighting your way through an insurer's customer-service system alone.
You have someone on your side.
Patient Power USA may be particularly valuable to:
- Self-employed professionals
- Small-business owners
- Families facing high healthcare costs
- People paying substantial premiums
- People above ACA subsidy thresholds
- Early retirees
- Adults approaching retirement
- Caregivers for aging parents
- People dealing with insurance denials
- People who have received confusing or unexpected medical bills
- Anyone who wants someone in their corner when navigating healthcare
No.
In fact, one of the most valuable times to have an advocate may be before a healthcare problem becomes an expensive one.
Knowing how to find the right provider, understand your insurance and anticipate costs can help prevent avoidable expenses.
Absolutely.
Healthcare problems can arise unexpectedly. Having access to a personal advocate before you need one may be much more valuable than trying to find help after a complicated problem has already developed.
The Personal Health Advocate is one of the most important benefits of Patient Power USA membership.
It's designed to give every member a real person in your corner to help navigate healthcare problems, rather than leaving you to figure them out on your own.
As a member, you can contact a health advocate by phone, email or text to discuss a healthcare or insurance problem, and for help determining what can be done to address it.
Online information is often general advice, lacking specific personalized steps you can take for effective action.
A personal advocate can help you determine what you should do — and then helps you do it.
For example, instead of simply telling you:
"You may want to appeal your insurance company's denial" ...
... your Patient Power USA advocate can help you understand the denial, identify the appropriate next steps and, when appropriate, communicate with the insurance company, with you and for you, to try to resolve the problem.
That hands-on assistance is a fundamental part of the value of Patient Power membership.
Members can communicate with their Personal Health Advocate through:
- Phone
- Text
This allows members to use the method that is most convenient for their situation.
A quick text may be appropriate for a straightforward question. An email may be better for sharing documents or information. A phone conversation may be preferable when a healthcare issue is complicated or urgent.
Depending on the circumstances and the nature of the issue, your advocate can help you with:
- Understanding your health insurance coverage
- Helping those without health insurance to identify and actively pursue ways to reduce healthcare costs
- Finding more affordable healthcare options
- Identifying ways to reduce healthcare costs
- Locating specialists
- Finding providers who participate in your insurance network
- Helping identify potentially lower-cost alternatives
- Scheduling appointments
- Addressing medical-billing problems
- Identifying possible billing errors
- Communicating with insurance companies
- Advising you on the steps to take to challenge a denial
- Tackling prescription-cost issues
- Navigating complicated healthcare situations
The important distinction is that this member service goes beyond simply giving you information or advice . We'll help you put that knowledge into action.
Patient Power USA advocates work on your behalf to help navigate healthcare and insurance issues, but of course they cannot guarantee a particular outcome and do not provide medical or legal advice or representation.
The membership is designed to provide hands-on assistance, including communication with insurance companies, physicians' offices, hospitals and other healthcare-related organizations where appropriate and authorized.
For example, when an insurance company denies coverage, your advocate can call the insurer with you and for you to try to clarify the problem and pursue a resolution. Or if your advocate determines that your physician or hospital bill has an error, they can help you contact your provider to correct the bill and protect you against being overcharged.
Of course, the precise scope of any particular intervention will depend on the circumstances, applicable law, authorization requirements and the capabilities of the service.
Yes, the service is designed to assist members in dealing directly with insurance companies, including attempting to overcome coverage denials.
This is an important difference between Patient Power USA and a conventional healthcare information service.
Instead of leaving you alone to spend hours on hold with an insurer, the goal is to have someone knowledgeable helping you navigate the process and, when authorized and appropriate, communicate with the insurer on your behalf.
Yes.
Patient Power USA provides resources specifically designed to help members fight back to try to overturn denied claims and coverage problems.
Your advocate can help you understand:
- What was denied
- Why it was denied
- What information might turn the "No" to a "Yes"
- What options may be available
- What steps to take next
- How to communicate with the insurer
Where appropriate, the advocate can also assist with communications with the insurance company.
Of course, Patient Power USA cannot guarantee that an insurer will reverse a denial, but now you have an expert on your side to help you make the best case possible.
Yes, your advocate can help you locate appropriate healthcare providers and specialists, including providers that may offer more affordable care or participate in your insurance network.
This can be particularly valuable when you've been told:
"You need to see a specialist" ...
... but you don't know which specialist, where to find one, whether the specialist is in-network, what the likely cost will be or how to get an appointment.
Yes, help with appointment-scheduling is part of the hands-on member service.
Instead of simply giving you a list of specialists and leaving it to you to make the calls, the advocate can assist with locating a suitable provider and, when appropriate, can help schedule an appointment for you .
Yes. Helping members identify opportunities to reduce healthcare costs is a central part of Patient Power USA's value.
Depending on the circumstances, this can include looking for:
- Lower-cost providers
- In-network providers
- Alternative specialists
- More affordable locations for services
- Potentially less expensive treatment or service options
- Opportunities to reduce out-of-pocket expenses
While Patient Power USA cannot guarantee that a lower-cost alternative will always be available, now you have an expert on your side to help you find the best available price for the care you need.
Yes, the advocate program is designed to help you navigate medical-billing issues, including identifying potential overcharges and determining what steps you should take next.
Depending on the situation, assistance may include helping you understand the bill, identifying discrepancies or errors, and communicating with the appropriate provider or billing organization.
Yes.
Your advocate can help you identify available ways to reduce prescription costs, subject to the particular medication, insurance coverage, pharmacy arrangements and other circumstances.
No.
The advocate is not a substitute for a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.
Patient Power USA's role is to help members navigate the healthcare system, understand options, communicate with healthcare organizations and pursue potential cost savings or solutions.
Members remain responsible for medical decisions and should consult qualified healthcare professionals regarding diagnosis and treatment.
No.
Patient Power USA may provide advocacy and assistance with healthcare and insurance issues, but members should not interpret that assistance as an attorney-client relationship.
Because healthcare problems are often administrative problems as much as medical problems .
You may know that you need a specialist — but not know which one.
You may know that your insurance denied coverage for something — but not know how to challenge it.
You may receive a medical bill — but not know whether it is correct.
You may know that healthcare is too expensive — but not know where to look for a lower-cost alternative.
Patient Power USA is designed to give you someone who can help turn:
"I don't know what to do."
into:
"Here's what we're going to do next."
And when appropriate, the advocate can help execute those next steps , rather than simply recommending them.
That's precisely the kind of situation for which a personal advocate can be valuable.
Healthcare problems can require repeated phone calls, researching provider networks, comparing options, requesting information and following up with insurers or providers.
A key objective of the advocacy service is to help you by taking on some of that burden for you.
You don't have to be a health-insurance expert to be an effective healthcare consumer.
Your advocate can help you understand the problem, identify the relevant questions and determine what steps may be appropriate.
Insurance companies can answer questions about their own policies, but their interests and the patient's interests aren't always aligned.
Insurance companies often have hundreds of researchers and lawyers on their side.
Patient Power USA is designed to give you an expert on your side who can help you navigate the system.
That's the critical support that can make the difference.
Your current membership includes:
- Personal Health Advocate
- Weekly Patient Power Brief
- Resources to help fight denied insurance claims
- Healthcare savings information and strategies
- Healthcare Savings Manual (How To Save $1000 On Healthcare and Insurance)
- A collective voice for healthcare reform and advocacy for patient rights
Benefits may change over time under the Membership Terms. We are always searching for new ways to save you money.
The Weekly Patient Power Brief is designed to keep members informed about healthcare, insurance, patient rights, healthcare cost savings and developments that may affect consumers.
It helps turn complicated healthcare developments into information members can actually use.
The Healthcare Savings Manual is a Special Report prepared for members, presenting 20 little-known, proven ways to slash $1,000 off healthcare & insurance costs.
This Special Report delivers specific tips on cutting drug costs, getting free preventive care, slashing surgery expenses, how to use cash payments to get discounts often costing you less than using your insurance, how to avoid surprise billings after treatment, and much more.
Patient Power USA provides two (2) powerful resources to help members understand and challenge insurance denials:
(1) An online service that drafts a professionally prepared appeal for you. Members simply answer a few questions, upload their denial letter and a copy of their insurance plan, and the program drafts a compelling appeal you can submit to your insurance company.
(2) Your health advocate — they can help you make your case for overturning your denial.
Only 1% of denials are appealed but when denials are challenged, between 34% and 50% of standard appeals are successful.
You can use both these benefits together to strengthen your effort to appeal and overturn your denial.
This assistance does not constitute legal representation and should not be interpreted as an attorney-client relationship.
Patient rights include the ability to understand your healthcare coverage, obtain meaningful information about healthcare costs and treatment, challenge inappropriate insurance decisions and advocate for fair treatment.
No.
Patient Power USA has both an individual member-service component and a broader advocacy mission.
Membership helps an individual member save money and deal with today's healthcare system, while also helping create a collective patient voice for change.
The Center for Patient Rights (CPR) is a national consumer protection organization dedicated to helping patients understand the healthcare system and save money on healthcare and insurance costs.
CPR educates, engages, and supports consumers through its membership project, Patient Power USA, which provides patients benefits they've never had before: a clear and useful understanding of the healthcare system, immediate savings, proven strategies, and organized advocacy - all in one place.
The Center for Patient Rights (the "parent organization" sponsoring the Patient Power USA membership) is dedicated to providing tangible healthcare savings to consumers combined with an opportunity to be part of a movement larger than ourselves — working together for access to high-quality affordable care for all of us.
Yes.
Patient Power USA has a Refer-A-Friend program to help you share access to our membership benefits and services with friends. Refer-A-Friend details are available on the Patient Power USA website. Members receive a free additional month of membership for each friend they refer who becomes a member. Referred friends also receive a free additional month of membership. There is no limit on the number of friends you can refer and the number of additional membership months you can earn.
Under the current Terms and Conditions:
- The referring member receives one free month; and
- The new member also receives one free month.
For monthly members, the free month is applied during the third monthly billing cycle after the referred member has successfully paid the first two monthly dues payments. For annual members, one additional month is added to the membership term two months after a new annual member has enrolled and paid.
For referring members and the new members they refer, the referred individual must be a new member, enrollment must be valid, required dues must be paid, the enrollment cannot be fraudulent, and the account must remain in good standing. Rewards have no cash value and are non-transferable.
Membership is available to individuals who:
- Are at least 18 years old or the age of majority in their state;
- Reside in the United States or another approved jurisdiction;
- Provide truthful and complete enrollment information; and
- Agree to the Membership Terms.
Note: Your membership includes your spouse and all the children in your household at no extra cost.
Membership is available to individuals who are at least 18 or have reached the age of majority in their state.
Patient Power USA currently offers:
- Monthly Membership, billed monthly at $9.95 per month until cancelled; and
- Annual Membership, billed annually at $99 per year until cancelled (a savings of over $20/year).
Benefits begin after enrollment has been accepted and any required initial payment has been successfully processed.
Yes.
Monthly memberships automatically renew every month, while annual memberships renew every twelve months, until cancelled.
Patient Power USA will work to keep your costs down — including the cost of membership dues — but we reserve the right to change membership dues if our costs increase. Our Membership Terms and Conditions require that members will receive at least 30 days' advance notice (or longer if required by law) if it ever becomes necessary to increase recurring dues.
Yes.
You can cancel at any time by notifying us through your account in the member portal, by emailing us, or by phone.
Cancellation revokes future recurring billing authorization, and future billing stops on the next scheduled billing cycle following receipt of the cancellation request.
Under the current Terms and Conditions, membership services and ongoing member-only benefits terminate upon cancellation.
The current Terms and Conditions state that previously paid membership dues are nonrefundable, including no partial-month or prorated annual refunds, except where applicable law requires otherwise. After cancellation you can keep all the valuable information benefits you received while your membership was active — including your $1000 Health Savings Special Report, the weekly Patient Power briefs, and any insurance denial appeal letters you received.
Members authorize recurring electronic charges to their selected payment method.
Patient Power USA uses third-party payment processors for payment transactions. We store only the last four digits of your credit card number for reference only. We do not store complete credit-card numbers on our servers.
Our Terms and Conditions allow Patient Power USA to retry a transaction, suspend benefits, terminate membership, update payment information through permitted account-updater services and pursue lawful collection of unpaid balances where appropriate.
The Terms and Conditions authorize communications through:
- Telephone
- SMS/text
- Other permitted electronic communications
Communications can include membership administration, customer service, benefit updates, billing and renewal notices, advocacy campaigns, educational information, promotional offers, surveys and referral communications.
Yes.
Members can revoke marketing communication consent through the member portal or email. Certain operational communications necessary to administer membership may continue as permitted by law. Text-message participants can use STOP to discontinue marketing texts and HELP where applicable.
The Privacy Policy states that the organization may collect:
- Name and contact information
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Billing and shipping addresses
- Account login information
- Payment and transaction information
- Information submitted through forms, reviews and customer-support requests
The site may also automatically collect information such as IP address, device and browser information, browsing activity, referral sources and cookie information.
No. Our Privacy Policy states:
"We do not sell your personal information for monetary compensation."
The policy does, however, permit information sharing with certain service providers and business partners as necessary to operate the organization, including payment processors, hosting providers, analytics providers, marketing/advertising partners and customer-support services.
Patient Power USA uses trusted third-party payment processors and does not store complete credit-card numbers on its servers unless specifically required for business operations.
The Privacy Policy also states that reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards are used, while recognizing that no electronic storage or transmission system can guarantee absolute security.
Depending on location, members may have rights including requesting access to, correction or deletion of personal information and opting out of marketing communications or managing cookie preferences. California residents have additional rights under applicable California privacy laws.
No.
Membership is not health insurance, major medical coverage, a Medicare Supplement policy or a managed-care plan.
No.
Members remain responsible for maintaining whatever health insurance or other healthcare coverage they need.
No.
Patient Power USA does not replace physicians or other healthcare professionals.
No.
Membership services are focused on healthcare navigation, advocacy, personal savings, education, and consumer assistance.
No.
Membership does not constitute legal representation.
No.
We provide savings opportunities, resources and assistance but as individual circumstances vary, we cannot guarantee that an individual member will qualify for or receive a particular savings or benefit.