A continuing saga concerning Long Term Care

Sheila Trainer-McCutcheon
(519) 821-083
ugra@uoguelph.ca

Sometime last summer, I saw an advertisement for L.T.C. insurance. That translates into Long Term Care insurance for those who are short-form challenged. Being on my own and having experienced the lack of resources for any level of home care and the difficulties of accessing de-cent nursing home care, I called for more information. I received the first of several visits from a very pleasant and helpful lady who steered me through the minefield of forms and information.

I gave the matter considerable thought as it involved a significant investment, but the list of pros seemed to outweigh the list of cons. First of all, it was an in-come generating insurance. When the need for L.T.C. kicked in, a sum of money would be credited to my bank account on a weekly basis. This sum would be the level that I had decided I would need to help pay for either help in my own home or help to pay for nursing home care. The choice of care would be mine. It was very important to me to know that I had that choice. The sum that I selected could be used to pay someone to help me stay in my own home, or alternatively, help me pay for a room of my own in a care facility instead of having to share with a perfect (or not so perfect) stranger.

So I filled in the forms and gave permission for the company to get my medical records from my doctor. and sat back and waited and waited and waited. In the interim, I sprained my ankle (I thought) and the very pleasant lady felt that might delay my application. Well, maybe it did, be-cause I continued to wait. Meanwhile after four weeks, I discovered my ankle was not sprained. It was broken!

I received yet another call from my pleasant lady. It seems the company had tried to get my medical records – without success. The reason? They had talked to someone named “Katie” at my doctor’s office, who told them they had no patient by the name of Sheila Trainer-McCutcheon on file. I called my doctor and they not only had never had a call from this company, but they also did not have an employee called “Katie” working in the office. Back to square one. I gave the telephone number of my doctor’s office once again and waited---and waited! I received yet another call from my pleasant lady. She was most up-set by the incompetence of her fellow employees. It seems that they were unable to reach my doctor by phone because no one was ever there to answer the telephone. I explained that, in this day and age, many business and professional offices have phone services that give you a choice of avenues to explore and all it re-quires is that you stay on the line and then make your selection. It seems that concept has not yet reached the insurance industry despite the many times I have spent trying to reach a real per-son in that business. So I suggested that they try calling my doctor once more, but to stay on the line long enough to find out which button to press to reach the party they are trying to call. Shades of Lily Tomlin! I hope that I will not need Long Term Care before my application is approved.

The Saga continues in the next issue of the Newsletter.