related links

• Overview of Services
• How to File a Quality of Care Complaint
• How to File an Appeal
• Additional Resources
• En Español
• Case Status Check

watch a video about
immediate advocacy:

read a flyer about immediate advocacy

This Immediate Advocacy flyer is for people with Medicare and their families or caregivers to learn more about this service and how it works.

talk with kepro about immediate advocacy

Click below for the phone number for your state.

Contact Kepro

what is immediate advocacy?

How does Immediate Advocacy help people with Medicare?

Immediate Advocacy is a free service for people with Medicare. It is used to help people quickly resolve a problem about medical care or services. Immediate Advocacy often involves Kepro calling a healthcare provider or facility on behalf of the patient.

when to use immediate advocacy

You can call Kepro if you have a complaint about the medical care or services you received. Examples of when you can call Kepro:

• The hospital staff will not answer your questions.
• Your doctor ordered a wheelchair, but you have not gotten it yet.
• You need to refill a prescription but can’t get an appointment to see your doctor.

immediate advocacy process

Once Kepro decides that Immediate Advocacy is right for your situation, you will be asked for permission to share your name and concern with your provider. When Kepro calls the provider, we tell them that we have a complaint and that you would like to resolve the complaint through Immediate Advocacy. If the provider agrees, Kepro will begin the process. If the provider does not agree, then there are other resources that can be discussed with you which might help you address your concerns.

Kepro may use a phone call on your behalf to resolve the complaint. The goal should be a quick and agreeable resolution within a short time frame.

If the provider is not available after you agree to the use of Immediate Advocacy, Kepro will call you to discuss your options. 

During the Immediate Advocacy process, BFCC-QIOs…

CAN:

CANNOT:

Listen to you and help you decide if Immediate Advocacy is the best way to address your concern. Contact a provider over the phone on your behalf to communicate an issue that you’re having. If appropriate, facilitate a conversation between you and your provider so that you can ask any questions or discuss any concerns with them directly. Communicate the outcome of your Immediate Advocacy case and offer additional help. Explain your Medicare rights and responsibilities.

Require the provider to participate in the Immediate Advocacy process or speak directly with you or your family. Formally punish or reprimand a provider. Investigate or seek damages for an incident that you believe was malpractice. Conduct an in-person examination of you or a facility. Require the facility to provide services that aren’t covered by Medicare. Require the facility to change its operating procedures.

stopping immediate advocacy

If Immediate Advocacy is not right for you, there are other resources that can be discussed with you which might help you address your concerns. If at any point, Kepro finds out information that makes the complaint no longer right for Immediate Advocacy, Kepro must stop the process and tell you and the provider that Immediate Advocacy is done.  

real life stories

Read real life stories that show how the Immediate Advocacy process works.

• In crisis situations such as a hurricane, or currently with the pandemic
• To help get the information you need when being discharged from a skilled nursing facility
• When you can't get needed answers from your doctor's office
• To help work through concerns with a home health agency