Eight Years of Beacon Patient Solutions: Advocacy, Growth, and Hard-Earned Perspective
By Ailene Gerhardt, MA, BCPA, CSA®, Founder, Beacon Patient Solutions LLC & Navigating Solo Network
Host, The Navigating Solo™ Podcast
As I mark the 8th anniversary of Beacon Patient Solutions LLC, I find myself reflecting not only on the work I do with clients, but also on a year that was personally challenging, professionally clarifying, and deeply instructive.
This past year - 2025 - was a difficult health year for me. Navigating my own healthcare needs offered a powerful reminder of just how complex, time-consuming, and emotionally taxing navigating the system can be, even for someone who works in it every day. That experience reinforced why Beacon Patient Solutions exists in the first place: to ensure no one has to navigate healthcare alone, unheard, or unprepared.
What began eight years ago as a vision to provide tailored patient advocacy has grown into a practice rooted in empathy, real-world experience, and practical solutions - helping individuals move through healthcare with greater clarity, confidence, and support.
A Year of Advocacy From Both Sides of the System
Over the past year, I continued to support individuals with a wide range of healthcare need: advance care planning, insurance and Medicare navigation, appeals and denials, care coordination, and medical decision-making. Every engagement, whether brief or ongoing, is guided by one core goal: helping people feel informed, supported, and empowered.
My work with solo agers remains especially meaningful. As more individuals plan to age without the reliable support of adult children or close family, the need for proactive, realistic healthcare planning has never been greater. I’ve worked with solo agers to build healthcare advocacy plans, prepare for medical appointments, organize critical records, and put advance care directives in place - ensuring their voices are known and respected when it matters most.
Expanding Services and Resources With Intention
This year also brought a renewed focus on balancing free and for-purchase resources , recognizing that people need accessible education alongside more personalized, hands-on support.
I’ve continued to expand tools and guidance related to:
Understanding and appealing insurance decisions
Identifying financial assistance for prescription copays, especially specialty medications, where costs can be overwhelming
These offerings are designed to meet people where they are, whether they need a starting point, a roadmap, or an advocate walking beside them through complex situations.
Core services such as the Healthcare Advocacy PLAN Creation and the Solo Agers Advocacy Initiative remain central to my work, providing structure, foresight, and peace of mind for individuals planning ahead or managing active healthcare challenges.
Community Education and Collaboration
A major focus this year has been expanding collaborations to further community education efforts. Through partnerships with Councils on Aging, community organizations, and regional and national conferences, I’ve been able to reach broader audiences with practical, actionable education on:
Advance care planning
Navigating healthcare systems
Solo aging strategies
Patient advocacy skills
These collaborations allow me to translate complex healthcare topics into understandable, usable information—empowering individuals and professionals alike. (Organizations interested in community education or conference speaking can learn more and book me through my speaking page.)
Writing, Media, and Public Conversation
I have also been fortunate this year to contribute to important public conversations about healthcare and solo aging. Through writing and media engagement, including conversations with journalists, I’ve had opportunities to share insights, lived experience, and advocacy perspectives with wider audiences.
These moments matter. They help normalize conversations about planning, independence, and the realities of navigating healthcare, and reinforce that advocacy is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Looking Ahead
As Beacon Patient Solutions enters its ninth year, my focus remains clear:
Continue expanding education and outreach
Deepen support for solo agers and individuals navigating complex care
Create resources that are practical, realistic, and grounded in lived experience
Advocate for a healthcare system that listens better and supports people more fully
This past year reminded me, personally and professionally, that preparation matters, clarity matters, and compassionate advocacy can change outcomes.
With Gratitude
I am deeply grateful to the clients who have trusted me during vulnerable moments, the partners who have collaborated in this work, and the readers and community members who continue to engage, learn, and share.
Beacon Patient Solutions exists because navigating healthcare is hard and because no one should have to face it alone.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to another year of advocacy, growth, and meaningful connection.
There are many ways healthcare consumers can benefit from working with
an independent healthcare / patient advocate.
Visit my Services Overview Page to see how I can assist you!
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When the complexities of the situation are too challenging to navigate on your own working with an independent board certified patient advocate can help cut through the “red tape” and reduce complications at an emotional time. Contact me to learn more about the value of working with a private patient advocate.