Grand Rapids Patient Advocates
A Grand Rapids patient advocate is a trained professional who handles the coordination, paperwork, and phone calls around your care, covered by Medicare. Careway works with patients across Grand Rapids and Kent County by phone and video.
Advocates work with you by phone and video. There is no office to travel to.
What makes care here hard to manage
A regional hub for a wide area
Grand Rapids is where much of West Michigan comes for specialty care, which means many patients are managing a specialist here and a primary doctor an hour or more away. Keeping both ends informed is ongoing work.
- Moves specialist findings back to the doctor at home
- Groups appointments so one trip covers more than one visit
- Arranges transportation for patients traveling in from surrounding counties
Local programs through Kent County
Meals, in-home help, and transportation are coordinated regionally rather than by the hospital, so they rarely come up during a medical visit.
- Connects families to the regional Area Agency on Aging
- Screens for Medicare Savings Programs and prescription cost help
- Finds home-heating assistance before winter rather than during it
Where Grand Rapids patients get care
- Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital
- Trinity Health Grand Rapids
- University of Michigan Health-West
Questions from Grand Rapids
Yes. Medicare's care management programs are Medicare-covered services available to eligible patients here. If you have a supplemental insurance policy (Medigap) or Medicaid, your standard coinsurance may be fully covered.
Not necessarily. Your advocate works with you by phone and video and knows the coverage rules, programs, and health systems in your state. There is no office to travel to, and no appointment you have to drive across town for.
Other cities in Michigan
Talk to someone who can take this on
Checking whether you qualify takes a couple of minutes. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you plainly.
Covered by Medicare. If you have a supplemental policy (Medigap) or Medicaid, your standard coinsurance may be fully covered.