FIG Education

FUN FRIDAY! SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS: WHAT THE NURSE LIFE CARE PLANNER SHOULD KNOW Holly Allman, DNP, RN, CLCP Kathleen Day-Seiter, Esq. Excerpt JNLCP Spring 2021 Nurse Life Care Planning Implications Public Benefits Assessment It may be prudent for nurse life care planners to consider incorporating a public benefits assessment in their assessments. This may be as simple as asking the individual about receiving any public assistance or public benefits as listed above. If a public benefit is identified, calling them to the retaining attorney’s attention would fall within the scope of NLCP practice. Counsel from the attorney (preferably with a trusts and estate planning attorney with specialized knowledge in special needs trusts) can then determine whether or not a monetary settlement can jeopardize benefits and how they may be safeguarded RESOURCES via SNT or other means, such as specific components of a demand or negotiated settlement. Current & Future Costs for SNT If the attorney and individual decide that an SNT is indicated, the nurse life care planner should include the costs associated with establishing and maintaining the SNT in the life care plan. Such provisions may include: • Attorney services and corresponding fees for establishing the SNT in the outset of year 1 of the life care plan. These should be researched by calling several firms with this specialty in the geographic area. Common estimated costs run between $5,000 to $8,000, depending on location. • Including trustee services and corresponding fees for the life of the settlement asset. Trustee fees vary and may be paid annually, usually based either on a small percentage of the current asset or as an hourly rate paid monthly or quarterly. • The estimated expenditure rate of the SNT asset, i.e., the estimated rate in which the asset will be depleted. This rate will vary by client’s needs. This would dictate the life of the asset to determine how long trustee services are needed. #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR

TRIVIA THURSDAY! What is a primary similarity between MCP & MSA? ANSWER: Per FIG Education – Medical Cost Projections and Medicare Set-Asides both include the cost of future care. #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR

WISDOM WEDNESDAY! MEDICAL COSTING RESEARCH

TIDBIT TUESDAY! SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS: WHAT THE NURSE LIFE CARE PLANNER SHOULD KNOW Holly Allman, DNP, RN, CLCP Kathleen Day-Seiter, Esq. Excerpt JNLCP Spring 2021 Problem Any settlement award could place an individual who currently receives public benefits over a means-tested threshold for eligibility, therefore rendering the individual at risk of losing or seeing a great reduction in certain public benefits. Public benefits that could be affected by a personal injury settlement include: • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • SSI-based Medicaid • Food Stamps via the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program • Federally Assisted Housing (HUD Section 8 housing, Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, and Public Housing) Therefore, settlement could become punitive for the injured party as losing public benefits forces the recipient to replace goods and services at market rate. The individual could have to use settlement funds to maintain the pre-settlement standard of living. Money earmarked in the life care plan for healthcare could then be needed for food and rent. If the injury rendered the individual unable to work, the depletion could be even more rapid. And once a public benefit is lost, there is no guarantee that a person would meet the means tested eligibility criteria for immediate re-enrollment. A personal injury settlement could also be subject to multiple liens and subrogation claims. If Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans’ Administration, or other insurance provided care for the compensable injury, they are entitled to reimbursement for all claims paid for related care and services under 42 U.S.C. §1395y(b)(2)(A), (B) and the Veterans’ Administration Federal Medical Care Recovery Program, respectively. Depending on state laws, other entities providing benefits such as subsidized housing, in-home supportive services, and food stamps may also have subrogation rights to recover their outlays. #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR

MORE MONDAY! Join us for the Life Care Planning Summit! Aligning for Consensus 2025 Past Foundations to Future Needs in Minneapolis, Minnesota! May 16-17, 2025 The University of Minnesota McNamara Alumni Center Register by end of day April 15 for the best rates! We are excited to announce the schedule is now available for the IARP LCP Summit 2025, a pivotal event in the field of life care planning. This year’s Summit will bring together Life Care Planning programs, certification boards, and licensing bodies for insightful discussions on their achievements, goals, and challenges. For over two decades, Life Care Planning Summits have fostered collaboration on key topics such as practice standards, education, certification, and business practices. At Summit 2025, we will take this work further with the presentation of findings from the Consensus Statement Work Group, led by Cloie Johnson. Over the past year, this group has carefully reviewed and categorized Consensus Statements, providing research-based recommendations for their continued use, relevance, and necessity. This is a must-attend event for anyone involved in life care planning. By participating, you will: Distinguish between different life care planning programs, organizations, and certification paths. Identify current gaps in the field and explore potential solutions. Analyze the Consensus Statements and their impact on best practices. Evaluate the relevancy of these statements in shaping the future of life care planning. Summit 2025 will be a historic milestone for our profession—don’t miss your chance to be part of it! Continuing Education 15 CEs of the following credits will be applied for: CNLCP, CLCP, CRC, CDMS, CCM, ICCCP, FIG LCP-C, FIG MCP-C, and FIG MSA-C Summit 2025 will be a historic event, register today to join us! → Register Now! https://lnkd.in/gFQQnUqg

Happy Easter Sunday!

FUN FRIDAY! Sequelae of Electrical Injuries BY SHELENE GILES, MS, BSN, BA, RN, CRC, CNLCP, LNCC, LCP-C, MCP-C, MSA-C Excerpt JNLCP Fall 2015 Electrical injury survivors perceive their trauma as a near-death experience. This experience, coupled with flashbacks and nightmares, produces long-term emotional challenges (Stergiou-Kita, et al., November/December 2014). Piotrowski notes emotional distress among EI tends to be a dominant feature influencing the long term outcomes of electrical injury survivors (Piotrowski, et al., May 2014). Neuropsychological status can be ab normal with significantly higher cognitive, physical, and emotional complaints. Research shows HV EI have slightly lower scores in executive functioning, including rapid retrieval from semantic knowledge, cognitive flexibility, and preservative responses when compared to LV EI. HV EI and LV EI patients did not show significant differences from a neuropsychological standpoint (Atkins, Grigorovich, Fish, Leach, & Gomez, 2011). Unfortunately, literature does not support a consistent neuropsychological profile for EI (Grigorovich, Gomez, Leach, & Fish, November/December 2013). Diagnosis and treatment of late com pression neuropathies are challenging due to parallel symptoms of decreased range of motion, delayed wound heal ing, edema, chronic pain, heterotopic ossification, and hypertrophic scarring. Nerve compression symptoms manifest as weakness, paresthesia, and objec tive muscle wasting along with positive EMG/NCV studies (Ferguson, Franco, Pollack, Rumbolo, & Smock, May/June 2010). #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR

TRIVIA THURSDAY! What is a main difference between an LCP and MCP? ANSWER:     Per FIG Education – Life Care Plans are typically used for expert witness testimony – for a detailed comprehensive plan of future care and costs and should comply with standards of practice. Medical Cost Projections are typically used for consulting purposes – to capture a snapshot of future care and costs and can be modified to the referral’s specific requests. #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR

Testimony Tuesday! Dear Kim and Emily, I chose FIG Education, Inc. because I've done my research and it is the top program in Life Care Planning. I was referred by Dr. Thomas Garzillo, and I’m truly thankful for that recommendation. From day one, I could tell this was the right place to grow and learn. Kim and Emily, thank you both so much for all the support you gave me during this training. You were there every step of the way, guiding me, answering my questions, and making sure I understood each part of the process thoroughly. You really took the time to walk me through everything, and I never felt like I was on my own. The classes were very informative and easy to follow. Everything was organized and well taught. If someone is thinking about getting into Life Care Planning, I would 100% recommend FIG Education. It’s not just a great program, it’s a place where you’re truly supported and given the tools to succeed. I’m very proud to say that I trained with FIG Education! Sincerely, Dr. Shavine Bush, DC #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR

TIDBIT TUESDAY! Sequelae of Electrical Injuries BY SHELENE GILES, MS, BSN, BA, RN, CRC, CNLCP, LNCC, LCP-C, MCP-C, MSA-C Excerpt JNLCP Fall 2015 Chronic complications Long-term sequelae of EI affect the following systems: • neurological • psychiatric • ophthalmologic, • cardiac • gastrointestinal • renal • orthopedic Neurological and psychological com plications appear to be most prevalent, with over half of EI surveyed noting chronic symptoms (Li, Gomez, & Fish, January/February 2010) (Stergiou-Kita, et al., November/December 2014). Onset of these disturbances can occur years after the EI. Table 1 lists psychological, neurological, and physical symptoms as sociated with EI (Wesner & Hickie, 2013). Neurological sequelae occur in 81.6% of EI injury. The most common neurological defect is peripheral neuropathy, which can manifest in acute or chronic settings, and weakness is the primary symptom (Herndon, 2012) (Piotrowski, et al., May 2014). Neuromuscular defects, such as paresis, paralysis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, transverse myelitis, or amy otrophic lateral sclerosis are also seen (Herndon, 2012). The most frequent complaints are numbness, weakness, memory problems, paresthesias, and chronic pain. #NURSE #OT #PT #DOCTOR