Whether you’re representing the plaintiff or defendant, a personal injury case can be incredibly challenging and complex, and the evidence and resources you have at your disposal will have a direct impact on the outcome of your case. Getting an accurate future care cost assessment can protect your client from an excessive settlement or undervalued claim.
Choosing the right Certified Life Care Planner to create a medical cost assessment for your case can make a big difference. Keep reading to learn what questions you should ask a Certified Life Care Planner about their services before deciding to hire them.
1. Do I Need a Medical Cost Projection or Life Care Plan?
The first thing to ask a Certified Life Care Planner you’re considering hiring is what type of report you need for your case. There are two primary types of medical cost assessments: Life Care Plans and Medical Cost Projection (MCP) reports. While MCP reports are shorter and can be adapted into Life Care Plans as needed, Life Care Plans are more exhaustive and are generally only recommended for particularly high stakes cases. Depending on which type of report you need, a different cost consultant may better fit your needs. The Certified Life Care Planner can let you know whether or not their services are right for you.
2. Do You Meet with the Injured Party and Treating Physicians?
Next, you should get a sense of what work goes into creating the consultants medical cost assessments. One big thing to consider is whether or not the consultant will meet with the injured party and their healthcare providers. Here at DM Medical Cost Consulting, we will do whatever it takes to create an airtight assessment for your case. While not necessary in every case, we do meet with injured parties when needed, and we consult with healthcare providers to get a clearer picture of the expected trajectory of the injury or injuries.
3. Do You Account for Unrelated Injuries and Pre-Existing Conditions?
Another important thing to keep in mind is what sorts of information is accounted for in the consultant’s reports. In Life Care Plans and MCP reports, the cost of ongoing care for unrelated injuries and pre-existing conditions should not be taken into account. However, things get more complicated when personal injuries exacerbate pre-existing conditions. In either instance, you should be able to rely on a Certified Life Care Planner to only account for expenses resulting from the injury in your case.
4. What Records Do You Use to Make Your Reports?
It is essential that Certified Life Care Planners use the most recent medical records available when creating their reports. This includes documentation from visits to medical providers, counselors, experts, and physical therapists, as well as any other healthcare documentation. You will need to ensure that your Certified Life Care Planner has access to the most up-to-date documents in your case.
5. What Sources Do You Use to Determine Current Costs?
Any medical cost assessment report is only as good as the resources used to make it. That includes what sources are used to determine the current cost of medical care, medications, and equipment. Before hiring a Certified Life Care Planner, ask about how they determine costs. Here at DM, we rely on things like clinic invoices and bills and local pharmacies to create our reports. Feel free to call to talk more about how we calculate costs.
6. Do Medical Cost Assessments Use Name Brand Drug Prices?
You don’t need to be in the healthcare industry to know that brand name drugs are often far more expensive than their generic counterparts, and that name brand often represents an unnecessary expense. As such, any useful medical cost assessment should rely on the price of generic drugs for calculations. Be sure that the cost consultant you use is on the same page.
7. Do You Account for Potential Complications?
Another key question to ask a Certified Life Care Planner before hiring them is whether or not they account for potential complications in their reporting. Whether or not the cost of complications is included comes down to how likely they are according to the healthcare providers involved. If a complication is more than likely to occur, then that cost should be accounted for in the total cost of future care. However, if a complication is only possible, then it should not be added into the total cost of care. Still, these costs may be calculated and documented in the report.
8. Why Should I Hire DM Medical Cost Consulting?
Last but not least, when you get in touch with us here at DM Medical Cost Consulting, we can tell you all about why you should hire us to assist with your case. Here at DM Medical, our team has a background in orthopedic medicine, and that gives us a leg up in personal injury cases that so often involve an orthopedic element. We can provide proven medical experience to guide your case.
If you’re in need of a Life Care Plan or Medical Cost Projection, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at DM Medical Cost Consulting to learn how our Texas Certified Life Care Planners can benefit your personal injury case.