It is reported that literally thousands of people could lose out in getting back care home fees they wrongly paid due to a new deadline for claims.
The Department of Health recently announced that families fighting for repayment from the NHS for nursing home fees they were wrongly charged for sick and unwell relatives will not be allowed to make a claim in 5 months time – at the end of September 2012.
Those disputing fees paid between April 1, 2004, and March 31, 2011, must register their claim before September 30th 2012.
The legal profession has warned that thousands could lose out as they are still unaware of the scheme and that they can even make a claim at all. And often, some cases are even rejected unlawfully.
The NHS should pay for the full cost of care if the primary reason a person is in a care home is because of their ill health, this was after a 1999 Court of Appeal ruling.
And it is even reported that some families who have been granted NHS continuing care costs have had them removed unlawfully.
Meaning that thousands of people across England have been wrongly charged for care and in many cases they have been forced to sell their family home to cover the Care Home costs.
Therefore, this will be their last chance to ask their Primary Care Trust for a review of care home fees paid from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2011.
People that have had to pay for their care between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012 will need to register their claim by March 31st, 2013.
It is projected that as many as 100,000 people could qualify for NHS continuing care, which applies whether the eligible person is in a hospital, a care home or eve in their own home.
However, very few receive the benefit as The Department of Health national guidelines on who qualifies for health needs are subject to interpretation by individual NHS trusts.
For example, this means that many families who need nursing care for conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease or even after suffering a stroke are being wrongly charged.
Many are denied funding by Primary Care Trusts — who pay the care bills — because the disease does not make the patient eligible automatically.
Under the current system, where a person has contributed to their fees for care from April 2004 onwards, they may be entitled to a reimbursement, even where the person who was cared for has since died.
However, since this deadline has been introduced without contacting the families who may be entitled to a reimbursement, people could miss out on the opportunity to reclaim the money to which they are entitled.
Have you been paying nursing or care home fees since 2004?
Does the patient have Alzheimer's or Dementia?
If you or your relative are in a care home due to health needs you could be entitled to NHS Continuing Healthcare to cover the cost.
Claims can be made for you or a relative, even if they have sadly passed away. Claims can be backdated to April 2004.
Have you been paying nursing or care home fees since 2004?
Does the patient have Alzheimer's or Dementia?
If you or your relative are in a care home due to health needs you could be entitled to NHS Continuing Healthcare to cover the cost.
Claims can be made for you or a relative, even if they have sadly passed away. Claims can be backdated to April 2004.
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