Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Elderly being denied claims by insurance

After years of paying into the system. Christy Hardin Smith of Firedoglake:
If your elderly parents had paid for long-term care insurance, planning ahead — or so they thought — to deal with increased costs and care needs as they aged, and then had the insurance company give them the run-around about paying a valid, sincere claim after all those years of premiums being paid to the company, how angry would you be? Would you say words such as "fraud," or "bad faith," or even "scam?" I think I might.
And if you think for one minute that each and every one of these companies are going to hold themselves independently accountable out of the goodness of their hearts, I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona to sell you. Not all insurance companies operate in a smarmy way — a number of individual agents that i know are caring, decent people who work hard for their clients. But the few rotten apples out there — especially those who would take advantage of the nation's elderly to make a quick buck, hoping to hold off on paying a claim until after their insureds kick the bucket? That is just scummy at the highest possible level. Accountability on this one, please. Now.
Do your research. Look at the complaints. Ask your friends or aging relatives what their experiences are. There are those companies who take money and will not pay. Those who will count on early deaths. Those who count on swamping the insured with confusing paperwork to delay or deny.

Hold the company to their promises. Get things in writing. Get a lawyer.

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