When 8th-grade English teacher Bert A. struggled with pain in the back of his throat, the doctor he was seeing recommended a tonsillectomy. But something didn’t feel right.

“In talking to my primary care provider, she mentioned Lantern and the ability to get surgery without any additional cost,” Bert says. “Curious and interested in getting a second opinion, I went ahead and pursued it.”

Lantern connected Bert to a new doctor and paid for everything, including travel. And the second opinion was worth it, as he ended up needing a completely different surgery — septoplasty.

White-Glove Service Every Step of the Way

Lantern members get paired with a dedicated Care Advocate to guide them through the entire surgical journey, from initial consult to recovery. Care Advocates can help members schedule appointments, request medical records and book travel if needed.

“The Advocate who I worked with handled everything,” Bert says. “All she did was contact me to ask me where to get the information. She covered everything else. The next thing I got was an email that everything was set.”

As a closed network, Bert wasn’t sure what to expect from the quality of the surgeon, but was pleasantly surprised with top-notch care. Lantern individually vets every provider, which helps ensure members have a less than 1% complication rate for surgery.

“The doctor was absolutely exceptional,” Bert says. “He has years of experience. My appointments with him were relaxed. He heard my entire story, which was a long one, before making decisions about what to do.”

After listening carefully, the doctor and Bert devised a plan to get him back to health — a septoplasty procedure and a CPAP device to use at home.

“The surgery process was simple,” Bert says. “I’ve never experienced anything medical-related that was this easy. Nobody ever asked me to pay for anything.”

And through his follow-up appointments, Bert’s Care Advocate was with him every step of the way.

“My Advocate was regularly checking in, was always kind and went ahead of me in terms of thinking about what needed to be done, what paperwork needed to be filled out and who had to be contacted,” Bert says. “Lantern has an appropriate name. It’s helping to light your way through the darkness of the normal healthcare and insurance journey these days.”

Finding Health and Rest Post-Procedure

Prior to his experience with Lantern, Bert felt tired and experienced daily pain. He was frustrated that he couldn’t do everything he used to.

“Lantern lit the way back to a rested life for me,” Bert says. “I’m sleeping better and back to exercising on a regular basis. I’m looking forward to going back to work with more energy and excitement about what I’m doing. Lantern has done all that for me, and with the most supportive people.”

Bert talks the Lantern program up to anyone who will listen, including his family and colleagues.

“This is an absolutely exceptional program,” Bert says. “Should I need surgery again, I’ll definitely use it. I’m insisting my family use the program if needed and talking to anyone I know, especially those I work with, about the value and benefit of this program. Lantern has been a great joy in my life.”