Recent Court Ruling Provides Elder Law Lesson

Sometimes you hear about an elder law court case and though the outcome may not be favorable to a particular party it can open your eyes to some of the mistakes you can make. Just such a case was recently ruled upon in the state of Kentucky.

Given the fact that the cost of long-term care is out of reach for a high percentage of individuals you have to take steps to prepare yourself in advance. One way to proceed is to purchase long-term care insurance. Though it can be expensive it can be a better alternative than paying for long-term care out-of-pocket.

If you do decide to purchase long-term care insurance you must be very careful about the way you proceed when you are originally obtaining coverage. You must have a thorough understanding of the details of the policy.

In addition, if you do eventually need long-term care you must be certain that the facility that you enter meets the requirements required in the policy.

The Kentucky court case that we are referencing involves a woman named Jeanne Crutchfield. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009 and entered a facility that specializes in caring for Alzheimer’s patients.

Though she had been paying for long-term care insurance since 1992 the insurance company would not pick up the tab. They stated that this particular facility did not meet the requirements as stated in the policy.

Ms. Crutchfield filed a lawsuit but the court found in favor of the insurance company.

At this point we do not know all the details in this case, but in many instances a simple consultation with a good elder law attorney could help you avoid mistakes when you are making decisions as a senior citizen or on behalf of an elder family member.

Larry Parman
Author, President and Founding Attorney
Parman & Easterday