Law Offices of Sean K. Collins

04/17/2025

"Heartlessness"...This is why you cannot rely on a long term care insurance company's "alternate plan of care" provision in a policy, do not let anyone sell you on a new policy because it contains one of these allegedly "flexible" illusory benefits...as the court here determined, proving the "heartlessness" of the insurer was not enough, "Plaintiffs argue that the COVID-19 pandemic and Hartnett’s age and health conditions created a 'significant risk of serious illness or death [that] should mitigate a strict reading of an insurance policy.' []. The insurance company’s heartlessness—disappointing, but hardly a surprise—does not change that Illinois law requires a “strict reading” of contract language." Hartnett v. Jackson National Life Insurance Company, ND ILL, 23cv1601 (April 16, 2025)

04/05/2025

Thank you CBS for giving this issue the attention it deserves!

Despite paying her insurance company $125,000 in premiums, a 92-year-old's claim was initially denied.

03/19/2025

https://ctmirror.org/2025/03/11/ct-insurance-committee-ltci-bills/

The bills are among at least 16 raised to reform long-term care insurance following a CT Mirror investigation into its skyrocketing costs.

03/05/2025

What happens when a long-term care insurance company denies a claimant's home health care claim, and then follows that denial up with a premium due invoice? The insured wants to drop their coverage: "I'm not giving them another dime!!"

But that is exactly what the insurers want you to do. They want you to lapse your policy (right when you need it for coverage) and eliminate their future liability. Keep paying the premiums even if your claim was just denied! Pay the premiums and fight the denial!

02/26/2025

The CT Mirror has put together a series of excellent articles on Long Term Care Insurance and the many issues facing aging consumers who have been paying in to this product for decades:

The Aging Committee’s bill, one of at least 14 on the issue, would create a tax deduction and require public hearings for rate increases.

11/09/2022

Long term care insurance claim handling investigation:

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP (“GPM”), a leading national consumer rights law firm, along with the Law Offices of Sean K. Collins (“SKC”) a leading

11/27/2020

The rulings in Wit are groundbreaking for those faced with mental health coverage denials from their health insurers

The availability of health insurance coverage for treatment of mental health conditions recently took a huge step forward with the entry of judgment by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Wit v. United Behavioral Health.[1] After the issuance of a ruling in 2019 findin...

08/30/2020

To my Massachusetts friends: vote for Joe Kennedy this Tuesday, Sept. 1st in the Democratic Senate Primary! Joe is a tireless advocate for mental healthcare access and parity laws - our health insurance should treat mental illness the same as physical illness. This is a critical issue for my clients and countless Americans. Joe is the right choice to lead Massachusetts, and our Country, vote for Joe!

The Official U.S. House website of Congressman Joe Kennedy of the 4th District of Massachusetts

04/01/2020

Very happy that our client's case will now move forward as a proposed class action:

A couple that paid more than $185,000 for their teen daughter’s mental health treatment advanced a proposed class action accusing Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts Inc. of wrongly denying benefits and flouting federal mental health parity law.

03/24/2020

Over the past couple of weeks I connected with many clients who have loved ones in lockdown at long term care facilities across the country due to the COVID-19 crisis. Please stay safe, socially distance, and reduce your chances of potential exposure however you can - if not for your own sake, for the sake of the elderly population trapped in facilities, and the families who cannot even visit with them during this most difficult time.

A health care worker at a Stafford Springs nursing home where two patients have died tested positive Monday for the coronavirus, bringing the total there to nine. It is now one of the largest clusters of COVID-19 cases in the state, and it’s amid those who are the most vunerable to it.

03/10/2020

As a follow up to a previous post regarding long term care insurer Brighthouse's shocking request for a 173% rate increase, the Connecticut Department of Insurance did the right thing and denied this request:

01/17/2020

Brighthouse is seeking a shocking 173% rate increase on long term care insurance policies in Connecticut, if you are impacted, call the Connecticut Department of Insurance to voice any concerns:

Rate Request: 173.0 percent increase – Under Review