How would your life be different if you had one person to guide and support you when you’re at your most vulnerable?
That kind of help made a life-changing difference for 72-year-old Melinda Lacy.
Three weeks after a total knee replacement surgery, and facing a second, Lacy felt overwhelmed and helpless. So an unexpected call from Glenda Cotrone, a health navigator with UnitedHealthcare’s Navigate4Me program, came at the perfect time. Lacy needed to recover enough to have the second surgery, which was scheduled in six weeks. And this time she would need to transition from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility — a transition that seemed both intimidating and complicated.
The two formed a team — and an unbreakable bond — with Cotrone serving as Lacy’s single point of contact at UnitedHealthcare for all of her questions and concerns along her health journey. Cotrone became Lacy’s biggest advocate and cheerleader — encouraging her, researching rehab facilities, answering questions and supporting her along the road to recovery. And Lacy was able to focus on what mattered most: getting back on her feet.
Introduced in 2017, Navigate4Me is available at no additional cost to people with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans facing complex health issues and pairs them with a single point of contact to coordinate care, address claims issues, provide social support and help with other needs.
“Our team provides a trusted advocate and a consistent resource to handle the details,” said Rebecca Goheen, who manages the Navigate4Me program. “The issues our members face can be difficult, but we help them navigate the system, walking alongside them every step of the way.”
Health navigators talk with individuals — sometimes daily — along with their family members and caregivers to fully understand all the factors that play a role in their overall health. Then they create a plan to tackle together.
For Lacy, the constant encouragement and assistance from Cotrone made all the difference in the world. She said, “When you have someone as knowledgeable and compassionate as Glenda, you can’t go wrong. It was invaluable to have somebody to bounce things off of, and she was my person.”
UnitedHealthcare expects to help 250,000 people through Navigate4Me in 2018. To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans that include the program, visit UHCMedicareHealthPlans.com.
Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a Medicare-approved Part D sponsor. Enrollment in these plans depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare.
Navigate4Me by UnitedHealthcare is not available in all plans.
-BPT
