Virginia-Based Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) Second Highest-Rated Charity in America According to New MainStreet Analysis of Charity Navigator Data

PAF's Perfect Four-Star Charity Navigator Rating and 69.40 out of 70 Score on Organizational Financial Health, Accountability and Transparency Places It Among Top of National U.S. Charities

HAMPTON, Va., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Virginia-based Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) announced today that a new analysis from personal finance news website MainStreet (www.mainstreet.com), also reported on MSN Money, has named PAF as the second-highest rated national charity in America. PAF received a perfect four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's leading independent charity evaluator, for the second consecutive year in 2011 and a 69.40 out of 70 score for its fiscal performance and operational responsibility, ranking it higher than thousands of other charities in the nation. PAF is the only healthcare advocacy organization of its kind earning a spot in the top-ten rated charities in the analysis.

In its compilation of highest-rated charities, MainStreet looked at the leading charities in the U.S. based on their 2011 Charity Navigator scores, filtering out organizations that operate only locally and those that work mainly to collect and distribute funds to other charitable organizations. To compute the charities' performance scores, Charity Navigator evaluated 5,500 charities in America based on their financial health, accountability and transparency, of which 238 were rated with four stars.

"PAF is honored to receive this distinctive recognition of our ongoing commitment to utmost accountability, fiscal responsibility and dedication to always putting the patient first – which is also evidenced by the fact that we put 91.6 cents of every dollar we collect to patient services," said Nancy Davenport Ennis, PAF Founder and CEO. "Likewise, we are proud that in 2011 we received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the second year in a row, helping enlighten patients in need as well as the public at large that we are a trusted, ethical and highly effective organization."

The 10 highest rated national charity organizations in 2011 based on the Main Street analysis are: 1) Give Kids The World, 2) Patient Advocate Foundation, 3) Navy SEAL Foundation, 4) Homes for Our Troops, 5) Special Operations Warrior Foundation, 6) Teach For America, 7) Environmental Law & Policy Center, 8) National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 9) Spondylitis Association of America and 10) Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

For more information about Charity Navigator scores, visit www.charitynavigator.org.

About Patient Advocate Foundation
Patient Advocate Foundation is a 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. PAF's professional case managers received and resolved 82,963 cases in 2010, an increase from 55,384 in 2009. Additionally, PAF received and provided information through online contacts to more than 4 million patients, family members and care professionals requesting access to care information and assistance. 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 clinical support through the MedCare Line. PAF handles insurance claims intervention, job retention services and medical debt crisis management.

For more information about Patient Advocate Foundation, please visit www.patientadvocate.org or call toll-free (800) 532-5274  

SOURCE Patient Advocate Foundation