Questions
Questions people ask
What is Principal Illness Navigation?
It is a Medicare service that started in January 2024. It pays for a trained navigator to help a patient with a serious illness manage their care. At Life Medical we call that person your Life Navigator. Most Medicare members have never been told this benefit exists.
Is my Life Navigator a doctor or a nurse?
No. Your Navigator is a trained care coordinator. They do not diagnose, prescribe or change medications. They work under your doctor and bring anything clinical straight to the doctor, often the same day.
Do I have to change doctors?
No. You keep every doctor you have. Your Navigator works alongside them and keeps everyone in step.
What does it cost?
Most patients pay nothing. Part B cost sharing may apply, and it is waived for patients with full Medicaid or QMB. We check your coverage before you start and tell you your exact cost.
Can my son or daughter call for me?
Yes. Families call us every day. With your permission your Navigator talks to your family, sends a plain language summary after visits and answers their questions.
How often will I hear from my Navigator?
You get a check in call every month, plus the coordination work in between. You can call your Navigator whenever something comes up. After a hospital stay you hear from them within a day or two.
Can I start right after a hospital stay?
Yes, and that is one of the best times to start. The days right after discharge are when things get missed.
I live in assisted living. Can I still have a Navigator?
Yes. Navigation works whether you live at home or in an assisted living community.
Who cannot start right now?
Patients on hospice, patients enrolled in PACE, and patients in a covered skilled nursing stay. A skilled nursing stay is temporary, so we can start once you are home. Call us and we will tell you where you stand.
Can I stop?
Yes, any time, for any reason. Tell your Navigator and it stops. Nothing about your regular care changes.
Getting started
How to start
From your first call to your first month, this is the whole process.
-
You call us
Tell us what is going on. We check your Medicare coverage, your condition and your visit history while you are on the phone.
-
Your doctor orders it
The service starts with a visit with a Life Medical practitioner. If you have not had one this year, we book it, and we can arrange the ride.
-
You meet your Navigator
A welcome call in the first week, with your family if you want them there. You go through your medications, your appointments, your worries and what matters most to you.
-
You get a plan, and a person
By the end of the first month you have a written care plan and a direct number. You know who to call when you do not know who to call.
More answers in our guides
Managing Severe COPD at Home in Glassboro: Stroke Care
Support for Glassboro families managing severe COPD at home alongside sudden post-stroke mood changes. Learn about local care coordination and transit.
Read the guideBedminster Care Navigator: Long-Distance Family Guide
Discover how a care navigator in Bedminster, NJ helps out-of-state family members manage appointments, transit, and care coordination for aging parents.
Read the guideBrigantine Guide: Managing Medications for Elderly Parents
Learn how to support an older parent in Brigantine managing schizophrenia and chronic medical illness, from medication safety to local resources.
Read the guideRespite Care Options for an Ailing Partner | Care Navigator
Learn how a care navigator helps spouses find reliable local respite care options, manage caregiver stress, and navigate Medicare care coordination.
Read the guide
See all guides · What a navigator does · Who qualifies · What it costs · Where we work
One call
Talk to a person today.
Tell us what is going on. We will tell you if a Life Navigator can help. Call for yourself, or for someone you care for.
Tap to call 973-607-4911Covered by Medicare. Most patients pay $0.