Meet Rachel Woodward

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Woodward and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Health insurance is an industry that was set up to serve people, but continues to put people last in favor of profit.

Most Americans pay for insurance, yet when it comes time to use it, aren’t sure exactly how to. That’s what my company specializes in – Understanding the nuance in insurance reimbursement, and how to leverage it to get insurance companies to pay.

There are so many loopholes with health insurance companies and ways for these large corporations to get out of paying for medical care. However, with the right knowledge and tools, some of the barriers can be overcome. Its important to understand your policy, always review and question your bill and don’t hesitate to ask if something doesn’t look right.

I wish people knew how much work goes on behind the scenes in a medical office simply to get insurance to pay physicians for the services the provide and the medical care that we all pay for.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I never thought my professional path would lead me where I am today. As a child, I was a baseball girl who grew up going to Dodger games with her Dad, listening to Vin Scully, and dreaming of the day I would get to call games along side of him. I got my degree in Communications and wanted a career in sports journalism. In college, I had the opportunity to work for the Dodgers and then after college, I took a position doing PR for the PGA Tour. I quickly learned that that the sports industry was not for me. I remember feeling so lost so I went back to what I knew best – athletics.

I became certified teach yoga in college and always found myself happiest when I was at the gym or outside doing physical activities. After the letdown of my short-lived sport journalism career, I decided to pursue what I loved and got my personal trainers certification. Within a year, I was one of the top producing trainers at Equinox in Beverly Hills. I worked with some incredible people, getting to share my passion with others while absorbing everything I could from them about business, fun, family and life. When you work with people to on a regular basis to increase strength, positive habits, and overall physical health, you develop a trust and bond that is really unlike any other. I was invested in my clients and I felt like they were equally invested in me and my success. I will always consider my job at Equinox most instrumental to my success.

It was around this time that the effects of the Mental Health Parity Act that was passed in 2008 started to change the healthcare industry. The Mental Health Parity Act required that insurance make substance abuse and mental health treatment as accessible as other “medical” conditions. My Mom, who had started a very small medical billing company when she had me 25 years prior was at the forefront. Almost overnight, her company took off.

She hired new team members and did what she had to to keep the company going until eventually it leveled off. I was amazed at what she had built. I was also appalled by some of the stories that I heard about the insurance industry – This made me curious.

I was still working at Equinox in Beverly Hills where I was training some pretty successful clients in a variety of industries. I would talk with them about my Mom’s company and her successes. The more I talked with them about her business, the more interested I became in it until eventually I knew what I needed to do.
I joined her company over 10 years ago and have watched it strategically double in size. It has been one of the most rewarding and unexpected pleasures of my life. The industry changed so much, presenting new challenges, opportunities and constant evolution. I am proud that the company remains at the forefront of the behavioral health industry. We fighting billion dollar corporations every day so that our doctors can remain in business, and so that the every day person does not get a surprise medical bill. It is not easy, and not always fun but it is impactful.

My path to success was nothing like I expected. However, by following my instinct, even when it meant giving up something I thought was my dream, I uncovered something even great.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the outdoors so I would probably start with a hike followed by a farmers market. You can learn a lot about a place by eating the fresh local food and shopping with local vendors. Im also a sucker for anything self care related – you can’t go wrong with a massage or facial. If its baseball season and the Dodgers were in town, we’d definitely hit a baseball game!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family, my husband, and especially my Mom, Kris who has always been my number one supporter.

Instagram: _rachelwoodward_

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-woodward-128164151/

Image Credits
Lisa Whalen