Bankers Life and Casualty Company Joins LifePlans, Inc. and the Department of Health and Human Services to Launch Fall Prevention Program Study For America's Seniors
Thursday, January 17, 2008
CHICAGO (January 17, 2008) - 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.
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