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Need Help Navigating Your MS Journey? Utilize an MS Navigator

Tamara K Sellman's avatar image

By Tamara K Sellman

2 min read

If you’re living with MS, then you likely have questions. They could be about anything, such as:

  • symptoms
  • medications
  • insurance
  • disability rights
  • support groups

You can always visit the MultipleSclerosis.net community and its forums and pages to seek out answers.

But sometimes you need the help of someone who works as a healthcare professional. Not a doctor, necessarily, but a guide — someone to connect you to the resources you need. These people do exist! They’re MS Navigators, a resource made available to all of us through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS).

What is an MS Navigator?

The NMSS describes the role of the MS Navigator as a “trusted partner to navigate the challenges of life with multiple sclerosis.”1

From the NMSS:1
“Our nationwide team of MS Navigators is made up of compassionate, highly skilled professionals who work with you one-on-one to ensure that you are informed, connected and supported throughout your MS journey. MS Navigators work to find solutions for the unique and often complex challenges of MS.”

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They exist to help you find solutions throughout your MS journey not only at the point of diagnosis but along the way, as your needs evolve. That makes sense, given the unpredictability and progressive potential of this disease.

The word “navigator” describes what they do perfectly: they literally stand at the intersection where you are looking for help and point you in the right direction.

What can an MS Navigator help with?

They can find resources for everything you may need help with:

  • information about the disease, drug protocols, and research
  • education about health insurance benefits and coverage plus prescription assistance programs
  • access to local healthcare providers for both MS and all its related needs
  • disease treatment and symptom management strategies
  • connection to in-home services, like home healthcare and MS nurses
  • financial planning for now and the future
  • proper housing and equipment for independent living
  • employment support and concerns (ADA, discrimination, accommodation)
  • social support systems and advocacy in your community or online
  • emotional support for people with MS as well as their family and caregivers
  • personalized case management
  • crisis management (divorce, legal issues, abuse, etc.)
  • wellness strategies (diet, exercise, mental health, and well-being)
  • activist resources for volunteers interested in advocating for the MS community at the federal, state, and local level
  • clinical trial and online survey information and opportunities
  • multimedia resources
  • Spanish language resources
  • help specifically tailored to veterans
  • family-centric services for health and wellness

How to find an MS Navigator

Here are some ways to access the MS Navigator program:2,3

  • Call 1 (800) 344-4867 (9am to 7pm ET) Monday through Friday
  • Use their contact form here
  • Chat with an MS Navigator by clicking the bar at the bottom of this page
  • Join community discussions for support such as the NMSS Facebook group, MSFriends®, eSupport Health, and self-help groups; MS Navigators are present in all of these locations.
  • Drop them an email at ConctactUsNMSS@nmss.org.
This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The MultipleSclerosis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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