Alpharetta GA, April 22, 2024 / For Immediate Release /

TrueHLTH, a digital healthcare navigation company focused on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), today announced the launch of its MyTrueHLTH Patient Advocate Network, powered by Umbra Health Advocacy. MyTrueHLTH is a first-of-its-kind platform dedicated to helping IBD patients find the programs and resources they need to assist with healthcare access, affordability, and care coordination.

The MyTrueHLTH platform includes the newly launched Patient Advocate Network with experts from across the healthcare spectrum, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. Some advocates specialize in clinical care navigation, while others focus on insurance coverage and medical bills. Participating advocates are members in good standing of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, which operates Umbra Health Advocacy to connect patients with independent, professional health advocates.

In conjunction with the launch, TrueHLTH will administer a cost-sharing pilot program. The limited program will enable IBD patients to apply a sponsored coupon to assist with hiring a patient advocate.

According to the American Gastroenterological Association, patients with IBD (including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), face a range of barriers to care, including prohibitive drug costs, insurance hurdles such as prior authorization and step therapy, forced switching of medications due to nonmedical reasons, and limited access to coordinated, specialized, and multidisciplinary care. IBD is one of the most expensive gastrointestinal conditions: According to a study in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Disease, IBD costs $25 billion annually and findings from a Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation study found that IBD patients incur over three times more in healthcare costs (approx. $23,000 vs. $7,000), have twice the out-of-pocket expense, and experience an estimated three times more work-related lost wages than non-IBD patients per year. The nearly one in every 100 Americans who live with IBD are more likely to have certain chronic conditions, such as cancer and heart, lung, or kidney disease.

“I know from personal experience how hard it is to navigate healthcare system complexity and how valuable a patient advocate can be,” said Scott Genone, TrueHLTH founder and CEO. “TrueHLTH is excited to partner with Umbra Health Advocacy to connect the IBD community to a network of highly qualified advocates, available to meet patients wherever they are on their journey to improve outcomes.”

“Independent, professional patient advocates work only for the patient’s interests and help patients overcome care- and cost-related barriers, which unfortunately IBD patients often face,” said Deb Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of Umbra Health Advocacy and Co-Director of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, whose members populate the MyTrueHLTH Patient Advocate Network. “We are thrilled to partner with TrueHLTH to bring the power of professional health advocacy to IBD patients who need help navigating their complex conditions. Our diverse group of advocates will ensure that MyTrueHLTH patients can get expert support for their specific needs at any given point along their journey.”

About TrueHLTH:

TrueHLTH is a patient-centered company guided by an advisory board of patients, physicians, and healthcare professionals. Our mission is to help people living with IBD find the programs and resources they need to maintain good health. The MyTrueHLTH care navigation platform helps patients find programs and resources needed to assist with healthcare access, affordability, and care coordination. Visit TrueHLTH to learn more. Patients who need the help of a professional patient advocate should visit mytruehlth.com/advocate.

About Umbra Health Advocacy:

Umbra Health Advocacy is a leading patient advocacy marketplace, connecting patients and families with expert, independent advocates who can help them navigate the healthcare system. Powered by the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates (APHA), the premiere professional organization for independent health advocates founded in 2009, Umbra draws on a national network of advocacy experts. Professional advocates who want to join the MyTrueHLTH Patient Advocate Network can visit
https://umbrahealthadvocacy.com/join-mytruehlth/ to learn more and sign up.

Media Contact: kelvin.meadows@truehlth.com