Dental Advocate: Shelbey Arevalo, BCPA
Shelbey Arevalo is a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) with more than 16 years of experience in the dental and healthcare industry. As an Umbra advocate, she supports clients and families who feel overwhelmed, confused, or unsure about their dental care, insurance, or treatment options.
Shelbey is one of the few advocates in the country who specializes in dental navigation. She combines chairside dental experience with deep expertise in dental billing, coding, and insurance. Her approach is compassionate, education focused, and centered on each client. She does not replace your dental provider or make clinical decisions. Instead, she helps you understand your options so you can make informed choices that fit your health needs, values, and budget.
Why Shelbey Arevalo became a patient advocate
Shelbey started her dental career in 2010 as a Certified Dental Assistant. During her years on the front lines of dentistry, she saw how often clients left the office confused, rushed, or unsure about their care. It was not because providers did not care. The system itself is complex and hard to navigate without support.
Her advocacy journey became deeply personal when she became the legal caretaker for her father, who is permanently disabled. Navigating healthcare on his behalf showed her how isolating the process can feel for families, especially when they are expected to make big decisions without clear guidance.
Too often, clients rely on information from people who lack the training or time to fully explain their options. Shelbey dedicated her career to changing that experience. Her goal is for every client to feel supported, respected, and confident in their care.
How Shelbey’s advocacy helps clients
Through Umbra, Shelbey helps clients with:
- Reviewing and explaining dental treatment plans in plain language
- Clarifying insurance benefits, coverage limits, and billing issues
- Reviewing Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) and resolving claim concerns
- Assisting with claim appeals and identifying billing errors and overcharges
- Finding trusted dental providers who accept your insurance plan
- Helping clients prepare for conversations with dental providers so they can ask the right questions with confidence
- Coordinating care and navigating next steps when treatment feels unclear or overwhelming
Shelbey Arevalo specializes in dental insurance and complex dental needs
Shelbey holds certifications in medical and dental billing and coding, and she is a certified expert in dental sleep apnea billing. She has an in-depth understanding of PPO, HMO, and Medicare Advantage dental benefits, as well as medical-dental crossover coverage for conditions like sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, and oral surgery.
While Shelbey works with clients of all ages, she is especially committed to supporting seniors, individuals with disabilities, and clients with complex medical or dental needs. She helps families evaluate Medicare Advantage dental benefits, break large treatment plans into manageable steps, and advocate for medically necessary care.
Work with Shelbey Arevalo, BCPA
Shelbey is based in Northern California and works with clients nationwide through virtual advocacy.
Shelbey’s services are available through Umbra with coverage by Medicare or through private pay. To get matched with Shelbey or another Umbra advocate, call 332-699-6778 or visit our get started page.
