People are talking about the future of the auto no-fault statute in Michigan.
Since 1973 this state has enjoyed the most comprehensive, and in the opinion of some overly generous, auto-no fault provisions in the country.
This is due to the fact that an injured party's reasonable and necessary care is paid for life after a catastrophic auto collision in Michigan.
Everyone with a vehicle pays up to $170.
00+ per year, per vehicle in order for the quasi-public Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association to finance the cost of care from hospitalization to assisted living to nursing home care to around-the-clock care in someone's home to modifying a home and purchasing prosthetics and specially equipped vehicles.
The Coalition to Protect Auto No-Fault and others are fighting against proposed changes to the law.
Those proposals include a cap on what is to be spent for care which in the opinion of most would thrust injured parties into a Medicaid pool and fill nursing homes and create an environment of substandard care that is also not person-centered.
Of course a big area of contention is that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association which pays the bills from funds collected from insurers refuses to provide financial openness.
There is current litigation seeking to force them to open the books since they are screaming that money is short.
Many see their activity as no more than lobbying for the long-term interests of the insurance industry.
At the same time we must acknowledge that the cost of long-term care for an injured party can be enormous.
Let us take a look at just how expensive: 24-Hour care in the home by a registered nurse at agency cost of $45.
00 per hour: $ 1080.
00 Daily Cost $ 32,734.
80 Monthly cost $392,817.
60 Annual cost 24-Hour care in the home by a nurses aide/direct care worker at agency cost of $22.
00 per hour: $ 528.
00 Daily cost $ 16,003.
68 Monthly cost $192,044.
16 Annual Cost ** These fees do not include any additional costs for rehabilitative therapies or specialized transportation Now what if a qualifying injured party is transported five, (5) days per week to a clinically competent adult day services program with nurse intervention, nurse management and a full-service rehabilitative program? Let's examine the cost: The typical program in Michigan would charge $100.
00 for an eight, (8) hour day.
In the above scenarios the cost for eight, (8) hours of care at home is $220.
00 and $450.
00.
Let's break it down more: In the scenario with a nurse aide the savings are $120.
00 per day.
Multiply that by an average of 264 days per year that an adult day services program is open and you have a total savings per case of $31,680.
00.
(Multiply that by 200 cases and you have an annual savings to no-fault of $6,336,000.
00) If a nurse is in place the daily savings are $260.
00 for an annual savings of $68,640.
00 per case.
(Multiply that by 200 cases and you have an annual savings to no-fault of $13,728,000.
00.
) At an average cost of $147.
00 per session for either speech, physical or occupational therapy in an adult day services program - scheduled as needed and approved - the savings could still be significant and the injured party faces less depression associated with feelings of isolation.
Why? Because most of the day they are surrounded by other beating hearts, not just a care deliverer in their private home; those same four, (4) walls.
Case managers do well to examine these independent programs for the value they bring to the community of the catastrophically injured.
This includes disabled veterans managing spinal cord and brain injuries.
Sure everyone will not benefit equally and the logistics must be examined in each case.
But its worth it! Money is saved.
Lives are enriched.
What a formula for success.
Let's embrace this together.
Thanks for allowing us to share.
Look for more on-line at http://www.
americancarenews.
com.
Since 1973 this state has enjoyed the most comprehensive, and in the opinion of some overly generous, auto-no fault provisions in the country.
This is due to the fact that an injured party's reasonable and necessary care is paid for life after a catastrophic auto collision in Michigan.
Everyone with a vehicle pays up to $170.
00+ per year, per vehicle in order for the quasi-public Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association to finance the cost of care from hospitalization to assisted living to nursing home care to around-the-clock care in someone's home to modifying a home and purchasing prosthetics and specially equipped vehicles.
The Coalition to Protect Auto No-Fault and others are fighting against proposed changes to the law.
Those proposals include a cap on what is to be spent for care which in the opinion of most would thrust injured parties into a Medicaid pool and fill nursing homes and create an environment of substandard care that is also not person-centered.
Of course a big area of contention is that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association which pays the bills from funds collected from insurers refuses to provide financial openness.
There is current litigation seeking to force them to open the books since they are screaming that money is short.
Many see their activity as no more than lobbying for the long-term interests of the insurance industry.
At the same time we must acknowledge that the cost of long-term care for an injured party can be enormous.
Let us take a look at just how expensive: 24-Hour care in the home by a registered nurse at agency cost of $45.
00 per hour: $ 1080.
00 Daily Cost $ 32,734.
80 Monthly cost $392,817.
60 Annual cost 24-Hour care in the home by a nurses aide/direct care worker at agency cost of $22.
00 per hour: $ 528.
00 Daily cost $ 16,003.
68 Monthly cost $192,044.
16 Annual Cost ** These fees do not include any additional costs for rehabilitative therapies or specialized transportation Now what if a qualifying injured party is transported five, (5) days per week to a clinically competent adult day services program with nurse intervention, nurse management and a full-service rehabilitative program? Let's examine the cost: The typical program in Michigan would charge $100.
00 for an eight, (8) hour day.
In the above scenarios the cost for eight, (8) hours of care at home is $220.
00 and $450.
00.
Let's break it down more: In the scenario with a nurse aide the savings are $120.
00 per day.
Multiply that by an average of 264 days per year that an adult day services program is open and you have a total savings per case of $31,680.
00.
(Multiply that by 200 cases and you have an annual savings to no-fault of $6,336,000.
00) If a nurse is in place the daily savings are $260.
00 for an annual savings of $68,640.
00 per case.
(Multiply that by 200 cases and you have an annual savings to no-fault of $13,728,000.
00.
) At an average cost of $147.
00 per session for either speech, physical or occupational therapy in an adult day services program - scheduled as needed and approved - the savings could still be significant and the injured party faces less depression associated with feelings of isolation.
Why? Because most of the day they are surrounded by other beating hearts, not just a care deliverer in their private home; those same four, (4) walls.
Case managers do well to examine these independent programs for the value they bring to the community of the catastrophically injured.
This includes disabled veterans managing spinal cord and brain injuries.
Sure everyone will not benefit equally and the logistics must be examined in each case.
But its worth it! Money is saved.
Lives are enriched.
What a formula for success.
Let's embrace this together.
Thanks for allowing us to share.
Look for more on-line at http://www.
americancarenews.
com.