Davenport State Rep. Ken Croken to host forum on long-term care insurance

Sep. 20—Kathryn McKnight, the wife of state lawmaker and former county supervisor Ken Croken, died in 2021 after a bout with breast cancer.

Croken had taken out a long-term care insurance plan, and received a pre-approval for plans for McKnight's hospice care. After his wife's death, Croken submitted a final claim of less than $2,000 to the insurer. But, he said, he was buried in requests for documentation and, ultimately, denials.

Croken, now a state lawmaker representing Davenport, will hold a community forum Saturday about long-term care insurance with Sonya Sellmeyer, a consumer advocate at the Iowa Insurance Division.

The forum will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Eastern Avenue Branch of the Davenport Public Library, 6000 Eastern Ave.

Long-term care insurance policies are private policies purchased by consumers designed to cover expenses not covered by traditional private or public health insurance, such as in-home aides or assisted living facility care.

But Croken said it isn't uncommon to hear stories like his and his wife's. Through the forum, he wants to hear from policyholders on how changes in long-term insurance coverage and expense have impacted older Iowans and their families.

"Older Iowans need protection from companies that would unfairly renege on or alter commitments and expectations, jeopardizing the financial security that existing policies were intended to guarantee. I recognize that the insurance industry miscalculated the cost of such policies and that they may not be as profitable as originally thought. But that is no excuse to reduce or deny coverage or increase costs. It's simply not right," Croken said.

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