If you are a serious minded individual you are going to want to develop a relationship with a good Indianapolis elder law attorney as retirement starts to come into focus. Most people are going to have questions along the way, and if you take action without consulting with your lawyer you may make decisions that you regret at some future point in time.
With the above in mind there was a case decided by a court in Kentucky recently that is of interest to the elder law community.
Purchasing long-term care insurance can be a way to make sure that you can handle assisted living expenses later in your life. However, you must fully understand what you are getting into and be discerning about the facility that you choose should you need long-term care.
The Kentucky case revolves around Jeanne Crutchfield, a woman who did the responsible thing by preparing herself for a possible stay in a long-term care facility years in advance of needing any care. However, it turns out that the company that insured her is not going to be required to pay for her long-term care in spite of the fact that she carried insurance.
Crutchfield entered a facility called Barton House in 2009 after paying long-term care insurance premiums since 1992. Barton House is specifically designed to help people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Unfortunately for Ms. Crutchfield, the nature of the facility did not meet the exact requirements as elucidated in the insurance contract. As a result, the court decided that the insurance company was not required to pay for her care.
This case illustrates why it could be quite useful to discuss things with a qualified attorney before taking actions that could have serious financial ramifications.
Mr. Kraft assists clients primarily in the areas of estate planning and administration, Medicaid planning, federal and state taxation, real estate and corporate law, bringing the added perspective of an accounting background to his work.
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