Print thisFAQ About our Services
What do you mean by the term "Patient Advocacy"?
Dr. Tony Dale founded The Karis Group in 1996, offering a service he termed "Patient Advocacy". Since then, Karis and the healthcare industry have evolved, and the term "Patient Advocacy" has come to mean more than it did ten years ago. In contrast to the organizations that offer scheduling and insurance dispute resolution services under the moniker "Patient Advocacy", our services are focused on mediating between health care providers and under insured members who are having difficulty paying their medical bills. We mediate between members and providers to help both fully understand the situation at hand and pursue a resolution that is acceptable to both parties, whether via entitlements, financial assistance or reduced settlements and payment plans.
Do you sell only to businesses or also consumers?
Our Patient Advocacy service is offered only to businesses. The businesses are typically health benefit plans, insurers, employers or employee assistance programs looking to attract and retain more employees or members by improving their benefit package. Our Healthcare Facility Comparison Report is available only to self funded plans or brokers, consultants, third party administrators (TPAs) or insurers for self funded plans. For consumers, we offer Kare360, which is our membership based service to handle a wide variety of healthcare issues and questions that consumers run as they navigate the healthcare system.
Do you act as an insurance agent or broker?
No. We are not insurance agents.
Do you provide funds for medical bills?
No and we are not a Third Party Administrator (TPA). We do not handle payment for any of the medical bills we negotiate.
What is the average length of time it takes Karis to resolve a case?
Most cases are resolved within 30-60 days after we receive necessary paperwork including a properly signed Medical Information Release Form. Delays are generally due to waiting for paperwork to be delivered, received or completed. In some cases, provider billing departments and government offices are overwhelmed, resulting in delays that are beyond our control. In such cases, we will frequently update you and your providers on the status of your case.
