Patient Advocate Foundation Receives Fourth Consecutive 4-Star Rating from Nation's Largest Independent Charity Evaluator

Near-Perfect Rating Awarded for "Financial Performance, Accountability and Transparency"

HAMPTON, Va., July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) – a leading national non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability relative to their diagnosis of life threatening or debilitating diseases –received Charity Navigator's fourth consecutive 4-star rating for its commitment to accountability and transparency and efficient financial performance.

Charity Navigator, America's leading independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability and Transparency of 6,000 of America's largest charities. Receiving a perfect 4-star rating indicates that PAF is among the best of America's efficient charities and demonstrates a strong commitment to good governance, best practices and openness with information.

Only 6 percent of the charities rated by Charity Navigator receive four consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that PAF outperforms most charities in America. For the complete rating review and specific evaluation metrics, which includes details of PAF's 66.08 out of 70 overall score and perfect 70 out of 70 score for Accountability & Transparency, please visit PAF's Charity Navigator Profile.

"We are proud to announce Patient Advocate Foundation has earned our fourth consecutive 4-star rating," said Ken Berger, President/Chief Executive Officer of Charity Navigator, in a letter to PAF. "Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way."

"We are honored to receive this independent rating for the fourth year in a row," said Dr. Alan Balch, CEO of PAF. "This is great news for our dedicated staff, our patients and our organizational partners, as it demonstrates the care with which we manage our financial resources and focus on excellent patient service levels."

Nancy Davenport-Ennis, founder and Chairman of the Board, added, "The numerous private and public funding sources that make PAF possible deserve tremendous credit for the trust they put into our organization and our professional staff.  We hope that we not only continue to show our thanks by the hundreds of thousands of patients we have successfully served, but also the fact that we continue to be excellent stewards of their investment in us, with over 94 cents of every dollar spent going directly to patient services."

About Charity Navigator:  Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates American charities, with the stated goal to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health and performance of America's charities. Their evaluation system rates nonprofits between zero and four stars, enabling millions of donors and interested public to access relevant information before they make a donation or further interact with a charity.

About PAF:  Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization founded in 1996, that seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability. PAF's professional case managers received and resolved 109,147 cases in 2012 to patients representing 309 different diagnoses or health conditions.  PAF services are available to all patients, patient families, and medical professionals, offering nineteen programs and services ranging from case management to co-pay relief, as well as specialized support through the MedCareLine and the Financial Fund Division. Patient Advocate Foundation serves patients from all 50 states, and has physical locations in the top patient referral states including Texas, Florida, California and Virginia. For more information about Patient Advocate Foundation, please visit www.patientadvocate.org.

SOURCE Patient Advocate Foundation