It is not uncommon for medical and legal issues to be intertwined. Whether related to best practices for patient care, patient housing, financial needs, benefit eligibility, child-support coverage, guardianship, or criminal related medical issues, there is likely to be a need for patients to have the support of a lawyer when contending with critical illness. Yet, this is often the last thing that a patient thinks about when facing a life threatening illness.
It is for these reasons that a partnership developed between lawyers and doctors at Wishard’s Pecar Health Center two years ago with the help of the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic and Indianapolis Legal Aid Society. Since then, numerous partnerships have surfaced in several Indiana areas. In fact, the partnership that initially focused on Wishard’s Pecar Health Center has recently discovered that approximately 30% of the legal cases they manage relate to housing issues that will people contend with. Guardianship is also a big concern.
On June 15, the American Medical Association’s resolution passed in the House of Delegates to support these kinds of partnerships. Some of the types of legal issues that ill people may contend with include, but are not limited to:
- Guardianship provides for a guardian to be put in place should an ill person be unable to make healthcare and financial decisions, including the preparation for legal documentation that outlines the assignment of a representative payee or fiduciary.
- Financial issues may include guardianship issues and the preparation of wills or trusts.
- Housing legal services may relate to landlord tenant issues such as inability to pay rent or eviction notification.
- Benefit eligibly issues may relate to the insurance appeal process, when an insurance company denies pre-authorization for treatment or an insurance claim.
- Criminal related medical legal issues may surface when a patient has been a victim of domestic violence or rape.
- Best practices for patient care relate to the patient bill of rights, which when questioned or violated lawyers are often required to share information that may be otherwise unobtainable.
If you or a loved one is facing medical legal issues, contact Burton Padove who is keenly familiar with medical legal issues. Burton Padove is an Indiana personal injury lawyer who offers a free consultation when calling (219) 836 2200.