NYTimes: "Until Medical Bills Do Us Part"

[prubin]

Check this out at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/opinion/30kristof.html?scp=1&sq=medical bills part&st=cse

This article describes the financial and emotional impact on the healthy, ultimately surviving, spouse when debilitating illness strikes. Advice from the hospital social worker -- “Maybe you should divorce.”

I and glad that my wife and I have LTC insurance. I see it as protection for surviving spouse and as an estate planning tool. I wish my state of residence would adopt a LTC insurance partnership program.

 

[cnb46]

caution on LTC insurance?

Now see this article. You can click on "view comments" below the article for more suggestions/opinions on LTC problems.

Daily Kos: He died early this morning...and they still won't pay

 

[Brat]

Why didn't the writer contact their State Insurance Commissioner

My parents had LTC insurance, they paid without issue.

 

[REWahoo]

Why didn't the writer contact their State Insurance Commissioner

I had the same question.

 

[cnb46]

If you click on "view comments" below the original article, you will see that the writer answers that question. His state Insurance Commissioner contacted the insurance co. 3 times; each time the response was that the case was "in process" or "under review" or some such phrase and the IC office claimed they could not proceed at that point. Read the comments for details.

 

[REWahoo]

Time for a new state commissioner...

 

[cnb46]

Here's the writer's response in the comments section:

I've written the state I.C.

They tell me that when they contact the insurer, the insurer says that the matter is "pending", so they (the I.C.) can't do anything because the claim hasn't actually been refused. The second and third times I wrote, I pointed out that it had been "pending" for months and that if there was a procedural problem (e.g., wrong form, missing documentation, whatever) that the insurer should have long since informed me so that I could address it. The I.C. gave the same response; return letters #2 and #3 were identical except for the date.

An additional complication is that -- as of now -- my power-of-attorney dissolves, since (to the best of my understanding, lawyers feel free to correct me) I can only hold power of attorney for someone who's alive. So it's not clear to me now that I actually have the legal standing to pursue the matter on his behalf.

 

[REWahoo]

Brewer12345, what do you know about these guys?

Banker's Life and Casualty.

 

[Brat]

We have a TV news reporter with a "Get Jessee" feature. Our Insurance Commissioner is elected. There is no way this would be neglected for so long.

 

[Gone4Good]

Advice from the hospital social worker -- “Maybe you should divorce.”

Sad, but probably good financial advice.