Healthcare Survival Kit: Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome

If you’re here, chances are you’re in the middle of a medical crisis, and you’re tired. Tired of the medical jargon, the endless phone calls, the bills you don’t understand, and the feeling that no one is really listening.

And tired isn’t the only feeling. When you’re navigating a serious medical event, there’s rarely a clear path forward. You don’t know what questions to ask, what options you have, or even what your rights are. That uncertainty makes everything heavier—and it can make an already overwhelming situation feel impossible.

At Healthcare Survival Kit, we’ve been there. We’ve sat in hospital rooms for days. We’ve been on hold with insurance for hours. We’ve juggled work, caregiving, and the nonstop pressure of “holding it all together” while someone we love is making the medical choices that matter most to them.

That’s why we do what we do.

Think of us as your guide — here to help you:

• Make sense of the chaos

• Understand your options (in plain language, not medical-ese)

• Build a plan that fits your needs, your timeline, and your reality
  
  

You don’t have to do this alone. With the right support, you can take a deep breath, find your footing, and start moving forward — even when everything around you feels upside-down.

What is a healthcare advocate?

A healthcare advocate is your personal guide, like a GPS, through the chaos of the medical system. We’re independent, which means we don’t answer to the hospital, the insurance company, or the healthcare system — we work for you.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Translating medical jargon so you actually understand your options

• Coordinating communication between multiple doctors or specialists

• Reviewing medical bills to catch errors (and there are almost always errors)

• Helping you challenge denials and negotiate with insurers

• Researching providers, specialists, or facilities that fit your needs

We don’t provide medical care — but we do provide something just as important: clarity, calm, and support when you need it most.

What outcomes can I expect?

Every situation is different, and so are the results.

We start by listening — to your goals, your pain points, and your must-haves. Then we map out a clear path forward, one step at a time.

Sometimes that looks like catching errors on a single bill. Other times, it’s building a full care roadmap for a complex medical journey. Either way, you’ll have someone in your corner who knows the system and knows how to navigate it with you.

What makes Healthcare Survival Kit different?

Because we’ve lived it.

Kim, our founder, spent more than a decade as a social worker, much of that in a Level 1 Trauma Center. She knows the system from the inside—but she also knows what it’s like to be on the other side of the hospital bed.

After her husband suffered serious surgical complications, she spent months in and out of hospitals. Each discharge — from three different facilities — failed her family in a new way. When they got home, the “support” stopped, and the real caregiving work began.

That experience shaped everything we do here. We know this isn’t just about systems and paperwork — it’s about people. People who are exhausted, scared, and trying to do their best with the information they have.

Why do you use humor sometimes?

We’ve been where you are, and we understand the weight of it all. While we’re always sensitive to the fact that someone, somewhere, is having the hardest day of their life, we’ve learned that humor can be a lifeline.

Laughter gives perspective. It reminds you there’s life outside of the hospital, outside of the bills, outside of the chaos. And sometimes, that moment of lightness is what helps you keep moving forward.

Sometimes, you just need to laugh.

Medical Bill & Insurance Support

We offer several levels of support so you can get exactly the help you need:

• Basic Medical Bill & EOB Review and Reconciliation
  A focused review of 1–4 outpatient bills — perfect for a quick, expert check for accuracy.

• Comprehensive Medical Bill & EOB Review and Reconciliation
  For 4–9 outpatient bills — ideal for families juggling multiple statements and looking for clarity and peace of mind.

• Premium Medical Bill & EOB Review and Reconciliation
  For hospital, facility, or surgical bills, where high-dollar, complex charges require experienced eyes.

• Comprehensive Insurance Appeal
  Full support through the appeal process — from crafting your strategy to drafting documents and following up.

Basic Open Enrollment Assistance
Calm, clear guidance through the process so you can pick the right plan without the overwhelm.

Healthcare Advocacy Tiers

For ongoing support, we offer three levels of advocacy. During your consult, we’ll explain each option so you can decide what fits your needs and your budget:

• Care Journey Blueprint
  A deep-dive assessment of your current medical situation, delivered as a custom, written roadmap with links, vetted resources, and actionable steps. Perfect for patients or caregivers who want to manage the journey themselves but with expert guidance.

• Basic Healthcare Advocacy
  For advance care planning, insurance coordination, appointment scheduling, caregiver coaching, and support during transitions between home and facility.

• Comprehensive Healthcare Advocacy
  For assisted living research (we do the legwork, you make the decision) or guiding newly injured patients through their rehab journey — especially for spinal cord injuries, TBIs, and neuro cases.

• Premium Healthcare Advocacy
  For complex, high-stakes situations like skilled nursing placement, rehab placement, home modifications, or managing care for patients with multiple diagnoses or psychiatric components.

How do I get started?

Getting started is simple — and often faster than you think:

• Book your free 30-minute consult
  Same-day appointments are often available.

• Receive your follow-up email
  Within hours (same day or next), you’ll get an email summarizing your situation, key barriers, and any immediate recommendations.

• Begin your journey
  Once you choose your service level, we’ll send you a secure invoice. Most projects begin within 24–48 hours of payment — and often sooner, because we’re eager to help you find a better path forward.

What to Expect After Your Free Consult

After your free consultation, you’ll receive an email that includes:

• A summary of your situation, including any key barriers or concerns

• Any immediate recommendations we shared during the call

• A list of service options most relevant to your situation, often with a range so you can choose what fits best

If we’re able to solve your problem during that first call, there’s no charge. And if all you need is a few steps or resources to move forward on your own, we’ll include those in the email as well.

What are your boundaries?

Being clear builds trust. Here’s what you should know:

• No Legal or Medical Advice
  We don’t replace your attorney or your doctor, but we’ll work alongside them to make sure everyone is aligned.

• Collaboration with Discharge Planners
  We enjoy working with hospital discharge planners, but their focus is on meeting the insurance company’s discharge date. Our focus? Your goals, your support system, and removing barriers — whether your path is recovery, long-term care, or Hospice.

• Emergency and Urgent Scenarios
  While Kim graduated at the top of her EMT-B class, we are not a substitute for 911. What we are is the calm, experienced voice you want when life flips upside-down, whether you’re suddenly facing reduced function (like bathing, feeding, etc.), the responsibilities of being a new caregiver, or complex care decisions.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Everyone deserves access to clear, compassionate healthcare navigation.

• While we aren’t bilingual, we happily use translation technology to communicate effectively with non-English-speaking clients.

We’re also experienced in using adaptive technologies to make sure every conversation is accessible and clear.

How do payments work?

We keep payment simple — and secure:

• How You Pay
  We accept all major credit cards and ACH transfers. Once you’ve chosen your service level, we’ll email an invoice. Work begins as soon as payment is received.

• Your Security Comes First
  We never store your payment information. All transactions are processed through Stripe, a trusted and secure platform that keeps your data private — we never see your card or account details.

• Insurance & Medicare
  We don’t accept payment from insurance or Medicare. Accepting those payments would shift our focus away from what matters most — you.

Who is Kim?

Kim is a social worker with 13 years of direct practice experience, much of it in high-pressure hospital settings where care path decisions matter and systems are anything but simple.

She’s also:

• A wife who fought for her husband’s recovery after surgical complications

• A mom who’s navigated complex care for her child

• A daughter who’s been a respite caregiver for an aging parent

Kim was at her husband’s bedside during the four months at three different hospitals, advocating every step of the way. Now that he’s at home, she continues to advocate for his continued physical rehab to reach maximum potential.

She brings her knowledge of healthcare systems, legal rights, and how to help patients “get unstuck” to every patient she serves. That blend of professional expertise and lived experience is what makes Healthcare Survival Kit both knowledgeable and deeply human.

Who is Linda?

Linda is an Insurance and Billing Advocate with years of experience helping patients and caregivers navigate the most complex parts of the healthcare system.

Her advocacy journey began in 2016, when her mother became oxygen-dependent due to advanced COPD. Overnight, she stepped into the caregiver role — managing insurance approvals, coordinating appointments, and fighting through red tape to make sure her mom received the care she needed. Later, she guided her mother-in-law and family through a dementia diagnosis and the transition to assisted living after an extended rehab stay.

Today, as part of Healthcare Survival Kit, Linda specializes in:

• Medical bill review and error correction

• Insurance appeals and claim support

• Plain-language explanations of patients’ rights and options

Linda knows firsthand how overwhelming healthcare systems can be. She combines technical expertise with deep compassion, helping families find clarity, confidence, and calm while navigating even the toughest billing and insurance challenges.

What else should I know?

• We lead with collaboration and transparency.

• We’ll help you find the best path forward based on your goals.

• Above all, we believe that healthcare doesn’t have to feel like a battle you fight alone.