Bankers Life and Casualty Company Joins LifePlans, Inc. and the Department of Health and Human Services to Launch Fall Preventio
18 January 2008 - 6:58AM
PR Newswire (US)
CHICAGO, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Bankers Life and Casualty Company
has joined LifePlans, Inc. and the United States Department of
Health and Human Services in implementing a study with senior
Americans on fall prevention. "Over thirty-percent of adults over
age 65 fall each year, and falls are a leading cause of injury
deaths and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries," said Scott
Perry, president of Bankers, a health and life insurance company
specializing in seniors. "The majority of falls - which are
preventable - occur at home and are a chief contributor to nursing
home admissions and long-term care claim costs. It's essential that
America's seniors have the insight and knowledge to prevent falls."
With the retirement of the Baby Boomers, the cost for providing
long-term care will be a major expense for American households,
insurers, states and the federal government. The cost of all fall
injuries for people age 65 or older is estimated to be near $36
billion in 2008, and is expected to reach $44 billion by 2020.
Well-targeted fall prevention programs can have a significant
impact on improving customer satisfaction through the maintenance
of a safe environment and independent living, in addition to
improving the financial performance of an insurer's block of
business The study, commencing in February 2008 and running
two-to-four years, will include a sample of the insurer's long-term
care policyholders. Participation will be voluntary. The program
will assess the policyholder's fall risks and outline an action
plan for the policyholder to follow. Periodic follow-ups and
coordination with the policyholder's primary care physician will
also be part of the program, and will enable evaluation for
measuring the impact of the program. LifePlans, which specializes
in creating products and services for long- term care clients,
spent three years researching and designing a model program with
the Department of Health and Human Services, who will provide
financial backing for the study. A nationally-recognized panel of
experts consulted in the development of the program. "We are happy
to be working with both the public and private sector in an effort
to help seniors remain living independently in their homes for as
long as possible," said Dr. Marc Cohen, President of LifePlans,
Inc. "So many falls are preventable, and to play a role in helping
keep people safe is a real privilege. Bankers Life and Casualty's
participation in this project underscores their on-going commitment
to better the lives of seniors through insurance products and
programs." "This very important program could significantly impact
the quality of life for our customers," said John Wells, Senior
Vice President of Long-Term Care for Conseco, Inc., Bankers' parent
company. "Preventing falls will allow them to remain where they
want to be - in their homes - instead of entering a nursing
facility. In addition, there is the potential for improving our
block of long-term care business through claims management, which
benefits our customers by helping to improve the stability of our
long-term care policy premium rates." Established in 1879 in
Chicago, Bankers Life and Casualty Company focuses on the financial
security needs of the mature market. The nationwide company, a
subsidiary of Conseco, Inc., offers a broad portfolio of health and
life insurance and retirement savings products designed especially
for seniors. Visit us online at http://www.bankers.com/.
*Statistics on falls are from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control web site. DATASOURCE: Bankers Life and Casualty Company
CONTACT: Barbara Ciesemier, Bankers Life and Casualty Company,
+1-312-396-7461, Web site: http://www.bankers.com/
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