Frequently Asked Questions
A Life Care Plan is a tool used for the purpose of estimating the medical and non-medical costs for a person with a chronic or catastrophic injury or illness. The Life Care Plan addresses goods and services, equipment needs, replacement schedules, and maintenance over an estimated life span. It is based on individual needs, and no two are the same.
A nurse has education and experience in the medical field. A nurse uses their education to understand the diagnoses and potential complications, including the following:
- Medication interactions and side effects
- Treatments
- Prognoses
A Nurse Life Care Plan is a collaborative effort with the client’s providers, the client, and the family.
These two reports both project future care with costs. A medical Cost Projection will suffice in many cases. However, when a patient interview, communication with providers, and home and vehicle modifications are needed, the more comprehensive Life Care Plan should be ordered.
A Nurse Life Care Plan is based on the nursing process of assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Plus, nursing is based on medical science and therefore passes the Daubert challenge in court.
A Nurse Life Care Plan can be used to determine costs in personal injuries, medical malpractice, workers compensation, estate planning, Medicare set-asides, social security disability, developmental disability, or even divorce and family law. With a well-written plan, based on reasonable needs, your proposal will be solid and defensible.
Be prepared to provide all available medical records. A home visit is also essential to develop an exceptional Life Care Plan. The home visit demonstrates how the client is functioning in their own environment and what adaptive equipment is needed. It will also look at any home modifications that should be considered. A home visit can take several hours, as the client will need to demonstrate what their average day is like.
Be prepared to provide the last two years of medical records, payment history, prescription payment and history, Social Security number or HICN number, a signed CMS authorization, and a copy of the first report of injury. Also, if there are any denied claims, please provide a copy of the State forms or a letter indicating what has been denied.
It varies by the case, the service that is requested, the complexity of the case, and other factors including how quickly information is received and collaboration is completed. We take the time that is necessary to accurately assess the client’s needs.