MY STORY IN ELDERCARE LAW NEWS

MY STORY HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE WEEKLY EDITION OF THE ELDERCARE NEWS. IT'S THE NAELA BULLETIN, THE PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ELDER LAW ATTORNEYS. GO TO:

OR HERE IT IS:

Disaffected assisted living resident becomes LTCI guerilla
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A showdown between David and Goliath is developing in the long-term care insurance industry. On one side is a large insurance company, Conseco, that last year shifted its long-term care insurance policies to a trust in Pennsylvania where it is incorporated. On the other side is Bill Silverman, a resident of an assisted living facility in Massachusetts. He has turned into a determined citizen activist in terms of demanding accountability of the insurance company, as well as state agencies involved in allowing Conseco to transfer its policy holders to an independent trust which has now assumed responsibility for long-term care insurance benefits. Bill Silverman and others are concerned that the trust is dependent on substantially increased premiums from current policy holders and an unsecured loan from Conseco. They suspect that in the current economic climate, it's only a matter of time before the trust becomes "insolvent."

The story is documented by a blog and web site based in Santa Fe, New Mexico that specializes in commenting on the growing tide of activism among the American public. http://www.guerillaorganizing.org.

Ever since the insurance trust was formed in Pennsylvania in the fall of 2008, Bill Silverman has been working with the tools he has available to get out the word: a cell phone, email account and a blog: http://www.bills2359.blogspot.com. He says that during the public comment period in Pennsylvania, there was no requirement to notify Conseco policy holders of the impending move. Silverman says he only found out about the trust arrangement "by accident" when he asked his broker about Conseco's standing in the insurance industry. Silverman believes that most of the 171,000 individuals impacted still have no idea of what's ahead. The complete story of Silverman taking on the issues brought about by Conseco can be found at: http://www.guerillaorganizing.org/article3.html.