Two Nebraska women sound alarm over questionable private Long Term Care Policy Increases – Are they trying to force senior citizens on Medicaid?

Patricia Rief Heskett and Sylvia Smith’slong-term care insurance has more than doubled in three years, so she is writing to state and federal officials for help…“What we’re feeling as retirees is that they’re trying to force us onto Medicaid,” Heskett, 70, said Tuesday. “The retirees are going to lose everything they’ve worked for their whole lives. We planned for our retirement. Now I’m sitting here watching it go up in smoke.”.  http://www.livewellnebraska.com/consumer/long-term-care-dilemma-retirees-are-going-to-lose-everything/article_b6c764eb-559a-54f7-9d77-685dfc1da1eb.html

Patricia and Sylvia Send Message to Elected Officials – about Long Term Care Policy 90% increase.  http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Women-Hope-YouTube-Video-Gets-Views-in-Washington-292040171.html

YouTube Video Uploaded on Feb 24, 2012   Patricia Rief-Heskett and Sylvia Smith, both of Omaha, NE, speak out against financial elder abuse. This video is being sent to their elected officials and others.To join Patricia and Sylvia in the fight, email Patricia at sonnyandcher256@wmconnect.com  http://youtu.be/0oIFdI0Fvts

Jan 2011 Kiplinger Report: Whose rates will rise? For John Hancock policyholders, the size of the increase will vary depending on your age and when you purchased the policy. The increase applies to both individual and group policies, but it does not affect the long-term-care policy from John Hancock for federal employees, which already had a premium increase of up to 25% in the spring of 2010. The John Hancock rate hike will not apply to Leading Edge or Custom Care II Enhanced policies — two of its newer offerings, which were issued after regulators passed stricter rate-setting requirements.
http://www.kiplinger.com/article/insurance/T036-C000-S002-long-term-care-rate-hikes-loom.html

March 2013  Forbes Report:   http://www.forbes.com/sites/baldwin/2013/03/29/dodge-the-long-term-care-insurance-mess/

Lawyers who have sued Insurance Companies – Fraudulent Policies/Practices:  …When buying long-term care coverage, the consumer should anticipate that premiums will increase to levels that in all probability will severely strain a fixed-income budget, resulting in cancellation, just prior to the time when coverage is needed. All insurance companies know this because their records confirm an increasing level of cancellations as premiums increase with aging policies and aging policyholders. The customer does not. The end result is a system that is rich with the potential for fraud. Add to this situation the fact that sales agents are driven by high commissions and the potential for fraud can readily become a reality.   http://www.alexanderinjury.com/library-fraud-1/

TAKE ACTION:  POST YOUR EXPERIENCES AT THIS CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE:  http://www.consumeraffairs.com/insurance/john_hancock_life.html

Some complaints listed at the Consumer Affairs site:

***Oct 2014 Complaint:  My mother is now in assisted living, since early April of 2014. She has been paying into JH for at least 30 years and they have amassed nearly $100,000 in payments from her. The requisite 100 days passed in assisted living, and yet the insurance payments did not start on time. After several complaints they paid for only one month, then stopped, for no reason and with no explanation. I now have to have my lawyer take over to get the payments that are due. My mother is fortunate that she has my brother, myself and a lawyer to get the money owed to her by JH. It makes me wonder just how many hundreds of older adults without the support my mother has get scammed by this company.

Jan 2015 Complaint:  Deceased father’s pension was handled by John Hancock. Worked at Abex Corporation. Sat in account for nearly 30 years. We did not receive any interest on this $168000.00 amount, seems we are due some interest money on that amount. Took years to get that amount released. Can you help. Seems unfair.

Dec 2014 Complaint: They, John Hancock, took my pension check I receive every month back! After they had already put it in my account on the Dec 25 2014!!!! 5 days later I have paid my bills and used my money then today I use my card – no money in my bank acct!!! What! I’ve been hacked I thought. I run to my bank but no, it was John Hancock who took my check back that was in my acct for 5 days!!!!! This has to be a crime, this is wrong!!! How can they get away with this!! So I call them, they say “oh we paid our check too early!!! So now we took your funds back till Jan 2!!!!” Bull!!! This is their mistake and now I am broke with fees to my bank!!! They should not get away with this!!!!

Dec 2014 Complaint: My mother in law has been trying to surrender 2 of her policies. She is 84 years old and has many health problems. My husband and I have been caring for her for 2 or more years. She has a house and does not want to lose it to back taxes and so she decided to surrender 2 of her policies. For 7 weeks since they sent us the paperwork for her to fill out they have jerked her around, me and my husband. I faxed the paperwork from my job 15 to 20 times. They say wait 24 to 48 hours before it is in the system for them to tell us whether they got it or not. When we call they say they are missing something. Conflicting stories and the rest is absolutely B.S. 84 years old and they are treating her as if she has no right to the money. We called the insurance commissioner today and filing a formal complaint.

Tagged: Alexander Infury, Consumer Affairs, Eyes Wide Open, Forbes Report, Fraud, John Hancock Insurance, Kiplinger Report, LaVista, Long Term Care, Nebraska, Omaha, Omaha World Herald, Patricia Rief Heskett, Susan Smith, Sylvia Smith, The Susan Smith Show