Stepping Stone Advocacy Services

04/08/2026

When insurance denials, confusing bills, and endless red tape feel like the storm… 🌧️
You don’t wait it out — you learn how to navigate through it.
At Stepping Stone Advocacy Services, we help you dance in the rain — guiding you through insurance challenges, fighting denials, and making sense of the system so you’re never facing it alone.
Because advocacy isn’t about avoiding the storm… it’s about having the right team beside you in it. 💙

04/07/2026

Healthcare doesn’t just get complicated at the bedside… it often gets even more confusing when the bills start arriving.

This month, we’re focusing on something that impacts nearly every patient and family I work with—billing and insurance navigation.

Through our April Education Series, we’re breaking down:
✔ Understanding your EOB
✔ Avoiding surprise medical bills
✔ Prior authorizations and delays
✔ Denials and how to respond

These are the moments where patients can feel overwhelmed—but also where advocacy makes all the difference.

🔗 Take a few minutes to read and share—this is information everyone should have.

Medical bills and insurance statements can be confusing. Learn how healthcare billing works, what charges mean, and how patients and families

04/05/2026

🌿 Easter Blessings from Stepping Stone Advocacy Services 🌿
This Easter, we are reminded that even in life’s most uncertain and overwhelming moments…
there is always hope, renewal, and light ahead.
In the journeys we walk with our clients and families—through illness, transitions, and challenges—we see this truth every day:
✨ Strength rises in the quiet moments
✨ Grace carries us when systems fall short
✨ And hope is never lost
Just as Easter represents new beginnings, we believe no one should have to navigate healthcare alone. There is always a path forward… and we are honored to walk beside you.
💙 Wishing you peace, healing, and renewed hope this Easter season.

04/03/2026

🚨 Don’t pay that medical bill yet.

As part of our April Education Series, meet Sandy Martinez, Insurance & Billing Advocate at Stepping Stone Advocacy Services.

Her top reminders for families:
✔ Medical bills can contain errors
✔ The amount billed is not always what you owe
✔ You have the right to ask questions before paying

Taking a pause can protect your finances and reduce stress during an already difficult time.

Sandy works closely with our Nurse Patient Advocates through our coordinated Gold Service approach — because true advocacy supports both your healthcare journey and the financial challenges that come with it.

Follow along this month for more practical guidance.

04/01/2026

Understanding healthcare today isn’t just about the medical side — it’s also about navigating insurance and medical billing, which can feel incredibly confusing for many patients and families.

That’s why this April we’re launching an educational series called Healthcare Billing and Insurance Explained.

You’ll be hearing from two important members of our advocacy team — Sandy and Michelle, our Insurance and Billing Advocates.

They bring many years of experience working on both the provider side and the insurance side, and they also understand the system personally, having had to advocate and fight to correct insurance errors themselves.

Working alongside our Nurse Patient Advocates, they help us look at both the clinical and financial sides of healthcare.

Because healthcare is complicated enough — understanding the system shouldn’t be.

Discover more:
www.steppingstoneadvocacy.com

03/26/2026

Home doesn’t always mean healed.

The first 30 days after discharge require attention.

▶️ Watch to learn what to monitor.

03/26/2026

Everything can look calm when you first come home.

The house is quiet.

The white fence feels safe.

Discharge papers are signed.

But the first 30 days after a hospital stay are when subtle changes often begin.

Infection.
Dehydration.
Medication side effects.
Falls.

Recovery doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes the storm builds quietly.

Even if everything seems “fine,” stay aware. Monitor changes. Ask questions. Trust what you’re seeing.

Early action can prevent complications and avoid unnecessary readmissions.

03/24/2026

🚨 When the system fails… who helps you find your way?

In 1963, astronaut Gordon Cooper was alone in space when his spacecraft’s guidance system suddenly died.

Reentry meant life or death.

Too steep — he would burn.

Too shallow — he would drift into space.

No computers. No backup. No one who could fix it from the ground.

So he relied on what he had.

A grease pencil.

A wristwatch.

The stars he had memorized.

He stayed calm. He trusted his training.

He made the call.

And he landed safely — just four miles from the recovery ship.

✨ Today, families often feel this same fear when navigating healthcare.

The systems are complex.

The decisions feel urgent. The stakes are deeply personal.

This is where advocacy matters most.

It’s about having someone beside you who can think clearly in uncertain moments…

who asks the right questions…

who helps guide the path forward when everything feels overwhelming.

❤️ You don’t have to navigate difficult healthcare journeys alone.

👇 Have you ever felt lost in a medical situation for yourself or someone you love? Share below — your story may help someone else today.

03/20/2026

A message from our founder, Lori Schellenberg:

Today I want to share a little behind-the-scenes information and express my sincere gratitude to this amazing lady.

Almost 3 years ago, another very special friend Debbie Zimmerman, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma.

It was devastating news to me personally, but also professionally as Debbie was my biggest cheer leader to me, in starting .

I had just launched my business and she was unwavering in her support to me! She helped me set up the “ business side” of the business and was unwavering in her encouragement of me, and the mission I envisioned.

When I had to shift gears to advocate and support Deb and her husband, Paul, during this very difficult time, June stepped up to support me. She helped me transition the business and encouraged me to continue… because Debbie would want me to do that!

Today, June and I continue the vision that Debbie and I envisioned and I know I could not have come this far without her❤️

03/20/2026

Message from our founder, Lori Schellenberg…….

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CaPVMj7YL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

03/20/2026

Every wrinkle tells a story.
Every hand has carried a lifetime of responsibility, love, and sacrifice.
But when healthcare becomes overwhelming… no one should have to face it alone.
At Stepping Stone Advocacy Services, we stand beside older adults and their families — helping them understand options, ask the right questions, and move forward with confidence.
Because advocacy is not just a service.
It is peace of mind.

03/20/2026

💵Medical bills often arrive weeks after care—and can leave families with more questions than answers.
▶️ Watch this video to understand why this happens and what you should know.