Long term care insurance is a controversial issue to many these days – especially since so many insurance carriers make it very difficult for policyholders to collect their valid benefits. The issue really resonates in the state of Florida which has the highest proportion of elderly residents in the nation.

Florida’s long term care insurance market

To find out more about the long term care insurance market in Florida, we interviewed Dan Thornburgh, a Florida attorney whose firm represents long term care policyholders. We asked him to define long term care insurance. This was his definition:

Long term care insurance is really what it says. It’s insurance coverage that people often get in case they become chronically ill – that is, functionally incapacitated or have mental problems that make it difficult for them to live on their own. It provides coverage which will pay for their long term care at an assisted living facility, a nursing home or for in-home care.

Florida’s elderly don’t want to burden others

Long term care insurance is especially important in Florida which has the highest proportion of elderly residents in the nation. According to Thornburgh, “Many of them purchase long term care insurance so that, in case they ever do become functionally incapacitated or otherwise chronically ill, they don’t become a burden on their family. We see a lot of people purchasing these insurance policies in Florida because of their age and the risk of becoming ill.”

Scams & wrongful denials

Thornburgh’s firm represents individuals whose long term care insurance companies have not paid them the rightful proceeds of their policies. We asked him about the scams and wrongful denials that he’s seen occur in Florida. He explained:

There are a number of scams, but we see a lot of wrongful denial of claims. We also see a really pervasive scam of delaying payments on a policy. So, if a person applies for the benefits after they become functionally incapacitated, the insurance companies pull a stall tactic scheme to delay paying the coverage. They delay, delay and delay and we think they do that hoping that the person will either give up trying to get the benefit or will die. It’s pretty disgusting.

Insurance companies often get away with this type of behavior, too. A lot of elderly people don’t have families who will be there to protect and fight for them and many don’t have the energy to fight on their own. We see it happen often and there are a lot of denials for long term care insurance benefits.

If your long term care insurance company has denied your rightful benefits, it may have acted in bad faith and you might want to contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law. Consultations are strictly confidential, free of charge and without any obligation. To contact a qualified attorney, please click here. We may be able to help.