Caroline Kim

Caroline Kim, BCPA

Founder & Health Advocate

As a Board Certified Patient Advocate, Caroline is passionate about advocating for others and ensuring people have access to quality healthcare. She’s lived with multiple chronic conditions and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome for the past 2 decades, so she intimately understands what it’s like and will help you get the care & information that you need.

She’s also helped others learn how to navigate the healthcare system for themselves too. Caroline launched Norbella to help others get healthcare more efficiently and effectively, particularly those with complex conditions. But she’s available to help in a variety of topics, such as advance care directives and insurance denials.

Caroline also has patient advocacy certificate from UCLA and is a member of several organizations, including the Ehlers-Danlos Society, HealthAdvocateX, Bay Area Healthcare Advocates, and the Alliance for Professional Advocates. Her previous experience in the media and tech industries as well as a master’s degree in journalism will help facilitate communication with providers and clients while encouraging timely healthcare management.

Services

  • Patient advocacy – Help get your voice heard in healthcare settings and act as your proxy when needed

  • Complex care coordination – Support for complex chronic conditions and managing appointments, referrals, & healthcare

  • Navigate insurance & appeals – Assist with finding the appropriate insurance, understanding coverage, and appealing prior authorization or other claim denials for medication or treatments

  • Help finding proper care team – Ensure healthcare team is sufficient for conditions and a good fit

  • Appointment & provider preparation – Help prepare for appointments and how to effectively communicate with providers

  • Medical records management – Request, organize, & maintain records

  • Research & education – Provide evidence-based information on conditions, treatments, and trials

  • Resource connection – Connect clients with available resources & help with applications for benefits, such as disability (SDI, SSDI, ERISA, LTD), mobility aids, transportation, and community services

  • Family & caregiver support – Provide info & education for loved ones

  • Advance care directives - Provide a neutral voice in long-term care planning and set up advance care directives

  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), including hypermobile (hEDS) & other connective tissue disorders

  • POTs, MCAS, migraines, and related conditions

  • Gastroenterology conditions

  • Sleep disorders

  • Fertility and Ob/Gyn concerns

Specialities

Help managing care, treatments, and research related to:

  • Autoimmune and auto-inflammatory conditions

  • Immune deficiencies

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Cancer diagnoses & treatments

  • Orthopedic injuries & recovery plans

  • General surgery prep & recovery

Book your appointment

Testimonials

  • Caroline’s knowledge of the various health plans provided another perspective, and ultimately helped us make a more informed decision.

    — Andrew

  • Caroline’s extensive knowledge of healthcare & insurance made it easy for me to understand the difference between deductibles & out-of-pocket expenses when dealing with out-of-network claims linked with my HSA account. She walked me through step-by-step, making sure I understood & felt comfortable dealing with the claims on my own.

    — Minju

  • Caroline has a lot of experience and understanding in how to successfully navigate the medical arena. She also has a deep understanding around billing and reimbursement. She is persistent and knows how to get things done!

    — Darla

  • Caroline was very professional helping me through 2 issues--an authorization for an expensive non-covered (but necessary!) medication & a long-term disability insurance appeal … She jumped right in with her excellent writing & organizational skills. Not only does she have solid academic knowledge of the health care insurance playing field, but she also genuinely has the compassion for people like me struggling with chronic illness. She offers all the modern tools to easily set appointments, securely exchange files, communicate virtually, & pay.

    —SK

  • Caroline was instrumental in setting up my advanced care directive. With her help, I feel much more secure about my future.

    — Dr. JR Stevenson

  • I highly recommend Caroline for anyone dealing with insurance denials and/or needing help choosing the right Medicare plan. She worked through all of the appeals necessary for continuity-of-care, working with both the providers & the insurance company to get the previous denials resolved, & getting approvals for future care. This alone saved us a large multiple of her fees. For insurance plans, Caroline knew when we could switch, which plans to switch to, & helped us find the right ones.

    —Alan