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Life Care Plan, Medical Cost Projection, Present Value Assessment of Life Care Plan

Important disclosures regarding medical cost projections

1. A Medical Cost Projection does not render opinions regarding liability/causality, permanency, medical diagnosis, appropriateness of past medical treatment, or life expectancy.

2. A Medical Cost Projection does not take the place of a life care plan, nor can it be converted into a life care plan.

3. A Medical Cost Projection is not considered an expert witness document.

4. Therefore, the consulting Certified Life Care Planner author of the Medical Cost Projection is not agreeable to expert witness designation or testimony (deposition and trial).

5. A life care plan should be considered if interested in expert witness designation and testimony.
    

What is a medical cost projection?

The construction and framework of a medical cost projection, along with the methodologies employed in its creation, rely on a thorough evaluation of medical records, extensive research, analysis, and adherence to established methodologies and professional standards. This report offers a credible quantitative foundation to evaluate and support the financial estimation of an injured individual’s future medical requirements. Typically, this estimation stems from a review of medical records, often encompassing a specific timeframe usually within the last two years.
 

Are medical cost projections appropriate for litigation

Medical cost projections serve purposes in mediation, settlement negotiations, and fund allocation. However, it's important to note that they aren't appropriate for litigation, expert witness disclosure, or as the foundational basis for testimony.
 

Are medical cost projections suitable for catastrophic (complex) or non-catastrophic (non-complex) injuries?

While a life care plan can be appropriate for both situations, a medical cost projetion should be limited to non-catastrophic (non-complex) injuries. A non-catastrophic injury is for those living with chronic illness or physical impairment, who retain the ability to perform ADLs (Activities of Daily Living), but may do so with difficulty and loss of quality of life. Conditions may include: neck and back injury, upper and lower extremity injury, fractures, mild to moderate burns, PTSD, complex regional pain syndrome, and chronic pain.
 

When is a life care plan useful?

All situations involving a chronic injury, catastrophic or non-catastrophic, that will require future care to function optimally and reduce pain and suffering. The Life Care Plan is a valuable tool to reach a settlement, not only in the litigation phase of a case, but also in the pre-litigation phase. It is based on a reliable, consistent methodology within a reasonable degree of medical probability.
 

Why retain a physician life care plan as the disclosed expert for a life care plan?

In addition to providing a strong medical foundation for future medical care, a Physician Life Care Planner's testimony can tie together all Experts' testimony. A Physician Life Care Planner can also educate the jury, in layperson's terms, about the extent and likely progression of the injury, causation, permanency, and future medical costs.
 

When is a Medical Cost Projection (MCP) NOT permitted?

An MCP cannot be provided if any of the following conditions apply:

• Retained by Defense

• Expert Witness Designation or Testimony (deposition or trial) is required

• The case involves more than 1,000 pages of records

• The injury is catastrophic or complex, including:

  • Amputation

  • Spinal cord injury

  • Brain injury

  • Major burns

  • Visual or hearing impairment

  • Birth injury

  • Significant brachial plexus injury

  • Polytrauma

*If any of the above apply, a Life Care Plan (LCP) may be offered instead. If retained by the Defense, an LCP is only possible if there is a Plaintiff’s Life Care Plan available for review/rebuttal.

When should a Life Care Plan (LCP) be considered instead of an MCP?

A Life Care Plan should be pursued if:

• Expert witness designation or testimony is required

• The case involves catastrophic or complex injuries

• A more detailed, comprehensive long-term care analysis is needed
   

When is a life care plan needed?

A Life Care Plan is required if future medical expenses need to be quantified. If inflation and interest must also be considered, Present Value Assessment (PVA) of Life Care Plan is added.
 

Does LCPMD provide Medical Cost Projections (MCP) for defense cases?

No. LCPMD does not provide MCPs for defense cases.