ABSTRACT
This chapter will summarize some of the issues that the life care planner must consider in order to practice in the area of forensic rehabilitation and may offer a somewhat different perspective than that offered in the chapters authored by attorneys. Clearly, the life care plan (LCP) is used for more than litigation (Deutsch & Sawyer, 2003; Riddick & Weed, 1996; Weed, 1994, 2003; Weed & Field, 1994). Historically the care plan has been used in setting reserves for insurance companies, assisting workers’ compensation companies with assessing future care costs associated with work-related disabilities, estimating the cost of future care for health care insurance companies, and providing the client and family with an outline of future care (Deutsch & Sawyer, 2003; Weed & Field, 1994). In the event that inadequate funding is available, the life care plan can become the road map for care. On many occasions the future care plan is not fully funded; therefore, the life care plan can be used to prioritize treatment so that available funding is used most appropriately. In a simplistic way, the life care plan is used to identify needs that can be translated into a budget so that the most important items are given the highest priority.
