Concierge Advocacy
Help for Cancer Patients and Caregivers
By Amy Hammond
92 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
Lea Ann Biafora is CEO/founder of
Beacon Advocates, which provides expert
health care guidance and advocacy.
Beacon Advocates’ CEO Lea Ann Biafora was assisting
a cancer patient and his caregiver with navigating
the complexities of a recent cancer diagnosis when
she spotted a $25,000 mistake in less than an hour. As
part of Beacon’s case review, she examined the patient’s
insurance plan for coverage to help identify any potential
barriers to care access. One glance at the online billing
statement raised an immediate red flag.
The corresponding procedure was coded incorrectly,
and she set forth immediately to correct it. Such revelations
are just part of the job for Biafora, who founded Beacon
in 2012 as a cancer care management company. Today,
she and her nurse and social worker advocate team offer
professional guidance and advocacy services for patients
and their families. And although the $25,000 mistake is
one she is glad to have remedied, it’s just one of the many
benefits of enlisting her as a health care advocate.
“Our mission is to improve the cancer care experience
by providing clinical clarity and advocacy while inspiring
confidence for people affected by cancer,” Biafora says. “We
achieve this by eliminating barriers to excellent cancer care.”
Beacon’s advocates review and audit cancer-related
medical billing, but this is just the tip of their cancer care
iceberg. All advocates are carefully vetted oncology registered
nurses and social workers. Perhaps the most essential service
Biafora and her team provide is the management of all
aspects of life throughout a cancer journey.
Beacon Advocates conducts comprehensive cancer case
reviews that include the latest drug and clinical trials
with emerging treatment options. The team also provides
logistical support: arranging transportation, housing, and
helping patients gain access to local and national financial
resources. Their team will even arrange short-term pet
care when a patient is unable to do so.
“Our highly qualified team of oncology professionals
serves as a beacon – a light of hope and guidance during
a difficult time,” Biafora says.
The current pandemic has presented unique challenges for
those living with cancer. Medical resources are increasingly
channeled toward those with COVID-19. Oncology
patients can find themselves lost in the shuffle. Necessary
appointments are being rescheduled, and treatments
delayed. Quarantine protocols are making it difficult for a
family to visit hospitalized loved ones. Throughout all these
challenges, the experienced Beacon Advocates cut through
the bureaucracy to chart alternative options for patients.
“Pandemic or not, we want what’s best for the patients,
and we advocate for them to receive the highest quality
of care possible,” Biafora says.
Aside from pandemic concerns, Biafora points to the
growing complexities in the health care and insurance
systems as prime reasons to enlist their help. Advancements
in treatment options and clinical trial openings can be
overwhelming. Beacon’s ability to keep up-to-date
JAMES OSTRAND
regarding a patient’s needs also helps ease caregiver fatigue.
Here’s how it works: Patients or caregivers can hire
Beacon Advocates directly. Employers and insurers
sometimes pay the bill for the navigation and advocacy
services, as do select oncology providers who seek
additional support for care coordination. Once hired,
the assigned advocate acts swiftly to assess the needs and
wants of the patient and caregivers. Beacon thoroughly
reviews all relevant medical records and information
pertaining to the patient’s medical situation. Then, an
action plan is developed, prioritized and put into place.
Beacon helps, even when the outcome is dire. Recently,
a terminally ill 47-year-old man asked his advocate to help
him return to Canada, as he was a dual citizen without
any caregivers in the United States. Within hours of being
hired, the nurse advocate arranged around-the-clock
private duty nursing care, obtained oxygen, and identified
and corrected a significant prescription pain medication
error. Within three days, the nurse advocate helped to
arrange and organize all aspects of the patient’s medical
care and transport to Canada, even amid border closure.
The nurse then helped arrange all aspects of medical care
while transitioning the patient to hospice.
“Individual attention like this can make such a
difference in a cancer patient’s journey,” Biafora says.
“Beacon Advocates guides patients and their caregivers
to achieve better-coordinated cancer care.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Beacon Advocates, which provides expert
health care guidance and advocacy, has its headquarters in
St. Petersburg and can be reached at (855) 490-8777, or at
beaconadvocates.com.
/beaconadvocates.com