On any given day, a percentage of Americans feel torn about pursuing medical care because of the risk of financial stress. Seeking professional aid for everything from aching teeth to mental health services can be influenced by how individuals will pay for deductibles, procedures, or preventative care.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s polling, “half of U.S. adults say they put off or skipped some sort of health care or dental care in the past year because of the cost. Three in ten (29%) also report not taking their medicines as prescribed at some point in the past year because of the cost.”
La-Villa Brooks, the owner of Brooks Home and Healthcare Management, LLC, understands the plight of individuals who face challenges that relate to obtaining medical coverage and paying for medical expenses. Brooks has roots in Harlem and Long Island, New York She serves clients in her home state and in Maryland. She will contribute future health-related information to The Baltimore Times newspaper.
While running her business full-time, Brooks provides streamlined information in the continuum of healthcare to address healthcare needs. Her experience includes applying for insurance through the government-related Health Insurance Marketplace, navigation through local Department of Social Services for long term care needs, and providing market analysis and quality assurance for local, state and federal applications in case management. Brooks’ healthcare experience includes over 12 years of work in the industry. She is highly skilled in obtaining results for clients who need support applying for Medicaid, Medicare, long term, chronic care, and veteran health care services.
Her journey began working for a law firm in healthcare assisting hospital clientele to become Medicaid eligible. She also continues to work with the aged, blind, disabled, and youth population.
“When people are admitted into the hospital, they don’t necessarily have health insurance or the means in place to afford their hospital stay. This happens when they are unaware or uninformed about their eligibility for government programs such as Medicaid,” Brooks said.
Charting a successful career path led to Brooks’ desire to create a family legacy for her children through the Brooks name. Furthering her education, and pursuing an entrepreneurial path in the healthcare field, enabled the savvy expert to take the next steps to make it happen.
“I pursued my master’s [degree]. I earned my MPA (Master of Public Administration). My daughter, who is currently working in hospital administration, is pursuing her master’s in health care,” Brooks said. “I founded Brooks Home Healthcare Management on the premise of helping guide others through the process of healthcare and its ever-changing landscape. Another reason I started my business was to create an environment that my family could be involved with and have guaranteed employment in serving others.”
Brooks tapped into her knowledge of assisting people in Nassau and Suffolk counties in N.Y. to build a business of her own. She gained experience supporting a variety of individuals in getting qualified for health insurance. They included everyone from people who needed long-term care to young, pregnant teenagers.
“As part of New York state’s healthcare initiative, I provided quality assurance to the Department of Social Services (DSS) through a grant program that allowed people to become qualified for Medicaid and Medicare. I was responsible for verifying all information for applications submitted to Suffolk and Nassau counties. I made sure that their applications were airtight before submitting them to the local DSS. For four consecutive years, applications I worked on contained less than one percent error. Ninety nine percent of applications I prepared were not denied,” Brook said.
The Army veteran is also experienced navigating beyond guaranteed services the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers. Some of Brooks’ clients in Maryland have parents who require nursing home care, or they are seeking manners of supportive care which will enable them to balance medical demands, while they work.
Brooks will offer expert health coverage knowledge about a host of topics to The Baltimore Times’ readers twice a month. A ‘Did you know?’ component will be included at the end of each article. Readers can also write in and ask Brooks questions.
“The goal is to provide education through my articles. I want people to become enlightened and informed. I strive to provide healthcare resources for the community,” Brooks said.