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Health Information & Advocacy Center

Health Information & Advocacy Center Overview

PACER’s Health Information and Advocacy Center (HIAC) provides a central source for families of children and young adults with disabilities to obtain support, advocacy, and information about the health care system. PACER promotes family-centered care and family and professional collaboration at all levels of health care. The HIAC also has a strong commitment to promote and support the needs of families from racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities.

The Center provides information to help families:

• make choices about health care providers, agencies, and companies
• communicate and work in collaboration with health care providers
• understand health insurance including managed care
• file insurance appeals
• understand legal rights in the health care system
• become aware of general health resources such as Medical Assistance (MA) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Project Services:

• Individual help by telephone and face-to-face meetings
• Family workshop training for health care advocacy, negotiation, strengthening relationships, and navigating managed care
• Collaboration with community health care professionals to provide training and information about family-centered care
• Collaboration with state and local agencies to provide family-centered systems of care for children and youth with special health needs
• Newsletter about health care issues, recent legislation, and health resources
• Links with parent-to-parent support programs
• Family Voices Project
• Online resources

Why is family involvement in the health system important?

• Teamwork and collaboration among families and professionals are essential to provide quality care for an individual child or a young adult. They are also best for the health care system as a whole.
• Parents, doctors, personal care attendants, and other professionals act as part of a team by contributing their own unique expertise and knowledge.
• Team members work together as colleagues. Recommendations from each team member are equally valued.
• While professionals can provide support and expertise, families have the ultimate responsibility of coordinating all the roles of a team, acting as caregivers, advocates, and decision makers. The expertise that families bring to systems of care is as vital as that of other team members.
• Each family has its own values. Family members are best able to understand the needs of their child. Contributions from other team members help a family make informed decisions that are in the best interest of their child.

For more information about the Health Information & Advocacy Center, please contact Wendy Ringer: (952)838-9000 Voice; (952)838-0190 TTY.

This program is supported by a grant from the Maternal Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Grant number 6 H84 MC 0005-01-01