Country Music Star Troy Gentry Partners With National Non-Profit Patient Advocate Foundation to Spread the Message About Challenges to Healthcare Access for Insured and Uninsured Americans

Country Music Star Troy Gentry Partners With National Non-Profit Patient Advocate Foundation to Spread the Message About Challenges to Healthcare Access for Insured and Uninsured Americans

Gentry featured in :30 and :60 second nationwide public service announcement

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., March 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) -- a national non-profit organization providing direct case management services and healthcare information to millions of patients with life-threatening, debilitating and chronic diseases each year who are unable to obtain access to healthcare because of financial issues or insurance denials -- today announced a formal educational partnership with Grammy-nominated country music star Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry.

The partnership will be featured in a national public service announcement (PSA) campaign -- to be launched at the beginning of March 2008 and distributed to radio and television stations throughout the country -- describing the services PAF provides to uninsured and insured patients in need of help securing access to medical care. Together, PAF and Troy hope to provide important information to the millions of Americans who are suffering from illnesses and who must also struggle with healthcare access issues that block their path to the timely receipt of the medical care that they need and deserve.

"It's an honor to work with the Patient Advocate Foundation on an issue that is important to so many Americans," said Gentry. "Unfortunately, I know from personal experience how the complications of securing healthcare coverage can make an already trying time that much more difficult -- it's great to be working with an organization like PAF that is able to fight successfully on patients' behalf."

In 2007, Troy lost his mother to cancer. He was by his mother's side as she suffered through painful cancer treatments, and he was her first line of defense in navigating the complicated maze of our healthcare system. As so many other Americans have experienced, he witnessed first hand how fighting a battle with cancer can also mean fighting a battle to get the healthcare coverage you need to survive. Troy was so affected by his mother's experience that he has vowed to help others who may be facing obstacles to get the healthcare they need.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Troy Gentry on this public service announcement that we hope will reach thousands of patients who are in need of help and not yet aware of PAF's free services," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, founder, president and CEO of PAF. "We look forward to continuing to work with Troy on educating people about how to get this all-important assistance in accessing their medical care."

Over the past 12 years, PAF's expert case managers and medical professionals have helped nearly 20 million patients gain access to healthcare when denied coverage by their insurance provider. In 2007, more than 6.8 million people from all 50 states contacted PAF for information -- approximately 44,600 of those requests requiring direct, sustained mediation from PAF. Of those 44,600 cases, 76 percent of the patients had some form of insurance, whether it was private healthcare, Medicare or Medicaid.

"Unfortunately, it is a common misconception in America that just because you have health insurance, you will get the medications and medical care that you need -- particularly when faced with a life-threatening, debilitating or catastrophic health crisis," said Davenport-Ennis. "We have seen entirely too many patients and family members struggle with rejected claims, denials based on pre-existing conditions and additional insurance coverage challenges that can lead to life-or-death delays in treatment. It's important to get the word out to these patients that PAF is here to fight on their behalf."

For more information about PAF and its services, contact 1-800-532-5274 or visit www.patientadvocate.org.

For copies of the :30 and :60 Public Service Announcements featuring Troy
Gentry, contact Ellen Almond at 548-0019. Please help us reach the
millions of people who are victims of our broken health care system, but don't
know where to turn.
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Source: Patient Advocate Foundation

CONTACT: Ellen Almond, +1-703-548-0019, for Patient Advocate Foundation

Web Site:

http://www.patientadvocate.org/

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