Texas A&M International University

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2013 Fall/Spring/Summer Online Sessions:
	Start	End
Session 1	March 18	April 14
Session 2	May 27	July 28
Session 3	August 5	October 6
Session 4	October 14	December 15

 

2014 Fall/Spring/Summer Online Sessions:
	Start	End
Session 1	January 6	March 3
Session 2	March 17	May 18
Session 3	May 26	July 27
Session 4	August 4	October 5
Session 5	October 13	December 14

 

Learning Objectives
Course Hours: 100 - 8 weeks
Course Creators: Scott A. Hatch, JD, and Lisa Zimmer Hatch, MA
Required Textbook: Patient Advocacy for Health Care Quality, by JoAnne L. Earp, Elizabeth A. French and Melissa B. Gilkey

As educators and health information specialists, health care advocates work to empower others.  You will be trained to work collaboratively with health care providers to mediate conflict and facilitate positive change.  As health policy advocates, graduates may work as patient representatives, educators, ombudsmen, and/or health care advisers in legislative and organizational areas and advocate for patients and consumers from positions in government agencies, disease-specific voluntary associations, or national health policy organizations. In addition, this course assists patients and families to navigate the health care system and to ensure that their health needs are met and their medical charges are billed fairly. Students complete the course over eight weeks, and successful grads will be awarded a Certificate upon the successful completion of eight weekly assignments and projects (comprising 60% of the final grade) and eight tests (comprising 40% of the final grade).

Week One:  Historical Survey of Health Care System
After completing the assignments and test for week one, students will have learned the following:

• Milestones in healthcare in the United States over the last century
• The major problems in healthcare and health insurance

Week Two:  Ethics of Informed Consent, Capacity and Communication Issues, and Confidentiality
After completing the assignments and test for week two, students will have learned the following:

• The definition and elements of informed consent
• HIPAA requirements and waivers
• The requirements of the Patient Self-Determination Act

Weeks Three and Four:  National Changes in Health Care Law: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and Health Care and Reconciliation Act of 2010
After completing the assignments and tests for weeks three and four, students will have learned the following:

• The promotion electronic health records
• Health insurance exchange
• Expansion and reform of Medicaid
• Employer incentives and penalties
• Advocacy issues related to the acts

Week Five:  Medical Billing Advocacy Techniques and Analysis of Billing and Coding
After completing the assignments and test for week five, students will have learned the following:

• Who needs medical billing advocacy and common medical billing errors
• Medical billing advocacy techniques, including making appeals
• Common medical billing codes
• How to read an Explanation of Benefits

Week Six:  Advocacy for Self-Insured Companies on Premium Reduction: Incorrect Charges and Improper Adjudication of Claims
After completing the assignments and test for week six, students will have learned the following:

• Dealing with advocacy issued related to self-insured companies
• Dealing with HMOs and PPOs on issues of rationed care, capitation agreements, and primary care providers

Week Seven:  Establishing and Marketing a Health Care Advocacy Business
After completing the assignments and test for week seven, students will have learned the following:

• Choosing a business entity and figuring start up costs
• Marketing your services to physicians, patient organizations, HMOs, and others
• Managing your business, including setting fees and drawing up legal agreements

Week Eight:  The Advocacy Process and Advocacy Situations
After completing the assignments and test for week eight, students will have learned the following:

• Advocacy qualities, including empathy, effective oral communication, and negotiation
• How to analyze patient advocate scenarios
• Applying advocacy techniques to hypothetical situations