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Immediate Advocacy We are the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, working to improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. Our site offers beneficiary and family-centered care information for providers, patients, and families. Welcome! |
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.
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…
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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.