Insurance Law Books

When a neurological disorder forced me to resign after 32 years of working, I was overwhelmed, depressed and not sure what to do next. Fortunately, I had ordered this book 2 weeks before and had somewhere to turn. I completed the worksheets (LOTS of information that Social Security needs but does not request) and followed Mr. Smith's suggestion to have a personal interview with Social Security. The employee was visibly delighted with the detail provided in the worksheets and I just received approval of my application only 2 1/2 months after applying! (Locally, according to a story in today's paper, only 25% of applications are granted the first time around - and hearings take over 600 days.) I firmly believe that this book made a difference in my life.

After personally speaking to Mr. Smith, I was convinced of his sincerity and committment to helping those applying for SSDI. I purchased this book, used the forms, and I got it on my first try.

His forms that I filled out(daily activities) and attached to all of my Doctor's forms were extraordinarily helpful and I believe essential in the decision making process for Social Security. It also proved helpful to the doctors who were making their reports. As long as your doctors know you, they still cannot be with you all day to know your moment to moment activities. These forms give them a birds eye view of what one deals with on a daily basis.

I recommend this book very highly.

If you are applying for disability, this is the only book you need to guide you through everything. I've highly recommended it to thousands of people with chronic illness through HopeKeepers Magazine.

This workbook consolidates the information needed to prove disability claims and win benefits. It guides applicants through the application process with the goal of getting benefits promptly, without unnecessary appeals. The new edition discusses the "proofs" that the Social Security Administration processors look for, and it tells you how to keep your benefits through periodic disability reviews. The book is important because two-thirds of claims for Social Security disability benefit are denied initially.

Be sure to visit the author's web site too at http://www.disabilityfacts.com . It includes a variety of free articles for personal use, including: Prospects Improve for Winning Disability Quickly, Social Security Disability Outline (What to Expect), and Daily Activities Worksheet (very helpful when filling out the forms). Many frequently asked questions about applying for benefits are also addressed.

Resources available for a small purchase price include helpful items such as "Disability Evaluation in a Nutshell: A Three Minute Guide to Effective Medical Reports," to ensure that your doctor is keeping medical records and being an advocate for your health.

You will feel like you've got an inside scoop on how the system works. .

You need this book. You need this workbook, even if you think your disability application will be successful, and even if you have an attorney. Most importantly, it keeps you organized while you are stressed from illness, financial insecurity, and uncertainty. It provides a framework to keep you organized, especially if you have many disabling conditions which must be considered in combination, and must be presented together to SSA.

After assembling your information in the format provided by this workbook, you can see if anything is missing, or needs updating, or is conflicting, and requires further explanation. You can also be confident that you are communicating your data completely and consistently to the many interviewers, on the multiple SSA forms and through the numerous levels of review, that you may encounter in your application process.

Another advantage of this book for yourself and for your application, is that it allows your individual medical specialists to get a complete picture of your overall health and of the conditions that disable you. For example, it might help your orthopedist decide whether you can walk on uneven surfaces, if he is aware that your field of vision is restricted. And once the workbook questionaires are filled out, they can serve as the beginning of a health diary, which will help you manage your health and deal with the periodic SSA reviews of your disability once you get it.

Finally, the biggest advantage you get from this workbook, is that it puts the SSA employees on your team by making it easier for them to do their jobs. You are providing them with the information they need on your case in an accessible format which is simple for them to process and evaluate.

Do yourself a favor. Get the Disability Workbook by Douglas M . Smith.

I wrote the above title and have been in touch with Doug. Little did I know there would be a time when I would need to apply for SSI for someone in my family. Doug's book is indespensible to the SSDI/SSI disability claimant. He lists the information you'll need and plenty of forms are included. He's also got some hints like "get a face-to-face" interview. It's your right. What more can I say, I wrote a book on the subject and for additional help I turned to Doug's book immediately and it comes through with the goods. I think my book "How to Get SSI and Social Security Disability" still has vital and helpful information to add, despite some self-styled "expert" who says my book is a lie. This same expert has the same opinion of Dr. Morton's book by Nolo. I am an expert and I give Doug's book a full 2 thumbs up.
Mike Davis

Legal information can seem confusing to the common person which is why this book was written. You need to understand how to find laws, regulations and court cases (if you are representing yourself in court). This is great even if you d not go to court because it makes you a smarter more diverse individual.

This book gives you a straight forward resource on how to find the laws and regulations, how to read the citations, and how to use the law library. It is good for lawyers, judges, paralegals or the layman. It is packed with tons of useful information.

I recommend it to everyone who has to decide if things are legal or not.

Footnote: Nolo press is the best company that produces law books for the common person. They are always easy to read and pact with good advice.


Enjoy

Awesome! Very thorough and easy to understand.

I am a legal assistant and I use this book constantly! It gives you great strategies to work more efficiently while getting better results. I had no idea how many legal resources there are online! This book tells you which sites are the most reliable and easy to use. It also demystifies annotated legal codes, case digests, state reports and many other research tools. But most importantly it is extremeley well organized and easy to use. I wish that I had discovered this book when I was a student!

This is an excellent and necessary legal research book for all paralegals,law students and legal researchers.
The hypotheticals and research questions with detailed answers alone make it a must have volume. The authors skillfully guide the student through the legal research process with these problems and answers.This is the most valuable legal research book in my personal library. Highly recommended.

I find this book to be a great resource for non-lawyers. As adjunct faculty at a community college, I use it to supplement the course text for my Legal Research & Writing Course for Paralegals. Well worth the purchase, and a great value!

A disabled person suffers from an information asymmetry when dealing with the insurance company the doctor and Social Security when on claim. The people they deal with know all about disability and they know nothing. This book teaches much of what you need to know. Tells you what files to keep, what clauses mean and how to minimize problems when dealing with your disability.

"This is much more than a how-to or do-it-yourself book. It is a plain English road map through the thicket of the entire disability process. It is so well written, accurate, and thorough, attorneys and judges will use it as an important desk reference. All organizations, agencies, and individuals involved in the disability benefits decision process, take note: This book now levels the playing field for the newly disabled." - Thomas P. Dovidio, Esquire

This is an excellent resource for my patients that have become disabled from a medical condition. It is a useful tool as 'Persistence is Power' prepares patients to organize medical visits, workplace modifcations, restrictions, and daily life with actual worksheets and guideposts (websites and other resources), so that they can learn how to manage their new role in life.
I find that most patients who have not had a previous work-related injury do not know what to expect or know who to contact when they have different medical, finacncial, or work-related issues. This book allows a peek into those expectations and gives guidance for newly injured workers.
An easy read, and a useful one.

Julie A. Muche', MD
Physical Medicine & Rehabiliation Physician

I reluctantly purchased this book at the suggestion of a disability claims examiner on a web forum. The last thing in the world I wanted to do after becoming disabled was to read a book about it. However I am very glad that I did just that. The book is written by a woman who herself became disabled and discovered the hard way - as most do - just how much of your privacy and rights you give up when you are disabled and submit a related insurance claim. No one is there to stand up for you when you need it the most. Quite the contrary; almost every organization that is involved in your disability claim seems to have rejecting your claim at the top of their list. This book explains in great detail just what steps you need to take, along with the documentation you must gather, and how to best protect your own interests if and when you become disabled. This book jump-started me out of what was most likely a depression-induced inertia and got me working to protect my own best interests. Because no one else will, believe me!

Having been employed for 30 years by the same aerospace firm, I have personally found that employee benefits has been out-sourced which leaves very little information & assistance to those in need. Sometimes the idea of filing a lawsuit doesn't help TODAY's needs. I have read Jeanne's book and wish I had known many of those resources and how to go about getting results. I surely would not have had to go down so many dead-end streets. I highly recommend this informative book to anyone who needs to know what, how, and where to go in getting the medical assistance that just seems to be no longer there.

Although I admit I haven't read the entire book - most of the parts I read were right on target.

I will tell you from personal experience with 2 step children - the police are actually becoming much more sensitive to a child or adult with Asbergers/Autism/Bi-Polar disorder. They seem to be a lot more knowlegeable and helpful to both the offending and - offended parties.

The only thing that concerns me with developing policies toward advocacy of protecting people with HFA is the fact that most of these kids, at least in my experience know that what they are doing (some of these things are sexual deviance and some are violent acts) is wrong morally.

The kids I have dealt with are not "acedemically" learning disabled. They get good grades in school. They know the difference between right and wrong.

It has been my experience as a step-parent of two boys (One with Asbergers, the other with Bipolar) these children will do the "bad stuff" behind a closed door or when they "believe" they have no supervision or they believe no one is watching them. (Understanding they don't really always know when they are being watched)

When you ask them why they did something bad after the fact - the Asbergers kid will tell you exactly why he did it. The bipolar kid is smart enough to know telling you why could get him into more trouble and he won't tell you.

It has been my experience they both can/will react violently when they realize they have been caught. Getting caught doing anything wrong makes a normal person nervous but to a person with autism or bipolar it can make them do something drastic to evade capture...or injure you or damage property - which to me is the real danger to law enforcement. My advice to law enforcement - if the autistic person is over 12 years old...don't approach one of these people alone without some kind of help or back-up if you can help it.

It is a very complicated problem. I am not unsympathetic to the advocates of the disabled. However - I am not an advocate of throwing out "accountablity" for the autistic perpetrator of a sexual or a violent crime. If someone is capable of doing something violent or sexually deviant once, they will do it again - and they do not belong out in the world loose to harm or violate other people.

I don't buy the argument these kids just need to be drugged after a violent outburst and sent back to a half-way house, back to their parents house or an adult foster care home. Some of these people do need to be locked up in a hospital or a criminal facility for their entire life.

This was a very informative book regarding the difficulties law enforcement individuals face when confronted with what looks like "red flag" criminal behavior by individuals who are rarely in control of their behavior and who generaly do not respond to verbal commands. While written five years ago, this is still a timely topic, not just for law enforcement professionals, but for families who care for loved ones diagnosed with Autism. The perspectives of the author are definitely written from the heart as well as from a solid professional foundation. Anyone who is caring for a loved one afflicted with Autism should read this book and put into practice the recommendations identified.

This is a must read for all law enforcement personnel, fire departments, emergency medical technicians and especially parents of children with autism. It is so important that communities use this resource to recognize the characteristics of persons with autism and strategies to help should they encounter a person with this neurological disorder. As a parent, this was a real eye- opener and made me realize how much work and education needs to take place in my own community. Thank you Mr. Debbaudt for this book!

Debbaudt does an excellent job on two fronts" First, explaining to law enforcment professionals how to identify and deal with autistic people, but also encouraging parents and caretakers to take responsibility for educating their loved ones on how to deal with the police in order to avoid tragedies. People with developmental disabilities are seven times more likely to interact with the police than people without disabilities. This is an important issue, and this book is an important contribution towards helping ameliorate a significant problem.

As a mother of a four year old autistic child, I'm plagued with the worries of "what will happen to my child when I'm gone." As such, we have set up our wills and our estates to take care of him. However, there are even more practical issues to worry about that Dennis Debbaudt brings to light in his book. People with develeopmental disorders are seven times more likely to come into contact with law enforcement than regular citizens. Our autistic children are socially impared, and the ignorance of this disorder is rampant among police ranks and other "first responders" to an emergency situation. Often "autistic traits" can be mistenterpreted as drug abuse, hositlity and beliegerence, dementia, or suspicious behavior that can appear as criminal intent. People with autism have been accidentally killed in crime situations, or have given false confessions to crimes they didn't commit largely due to police ignorance of this disorder.

This is a good primer for police and other first responders. It gives a good overview of why certain investigation techiques are not effecitve in dealing with autism. The second half of the book is directed at parents and caregivers - with good tips about informing local police of your child's condition, keeping your child safe at home, in school, and while traveling. There are also tips on spreading autism awareness to police and other first responders on a grassroots basis.

I had this and just gave it to a friend to use for his SSI. This book is a must for anyone pursuing or already receiving SSI and/or SSDI. Cut through the crapo of Bureaucracy and get the facts.

I would have given this book a five star rating, but it did not include two important SSA forms. The forms are sent to a claimant when his/her file is sent to the state office for development. These two forms are SSA-3373-BK (Function Report- Adult) and SSA-3380-BK (Function Report-Adult-Third Party). The two forms have to do with your Activities of Daily living, and when received have a 10 day return time. The forms can be found on the net, but you have to know they exist.

This book gave you examples of the language you need to use. Pretty easy to read and I did find it helpful.

this is a must for those of us who deserve disability, but will have to fight for our rights. some of us have what's referred to as "invisible problems" such as chronic severe back problems, Fibromyalgia, MS, etc, and this book is really good. Certainly worth the price.

This book gave a step by step process to apply for social security disability. It also answered every question that I had. This is a must read for anyone considering disability.

Dr. Rada addressed every item of HIPAA in a easy way and understandable for the lay people. It is written in plain language. I strongly recommend this book for all of those providers and health plan officials that has to comply with HIPAA regulation.

I have spent most of my day reading HIPAA@IT and although my eyes are a bit sore, it is the best material I have come across on the subject yet. Very comprehensive, well organized, easy to understand. It's one stop shopping! I was trying to pull together all that material from dozens of other sources. Thanks!

This book is a streamlined version of HIPAA@IT Reference by the same author. At roughly half the page count as the "Reference" edition, this book covers the same material but in a more abbreviated manner. It leaves out non-essential information provided in the bigger book, such as history, theory and examples. It also does not include two sections that go into detail about the 'Insurance Portability' and the 'Accountability' portions of HIPAA related to IS and administrative simplification.

As an IT consultant who works with health care clients (among other industries) this book or the more comprehensive one upon which it's based are invaluable guides. Both address HIPAA from an IT perspective; both cut through thousands of pages of sometimes confusing text associated with NPRMs and law to expose the key issues.

There are three main areas covered: (1) Transactions and Codes (from the perspective of payments between providers and payers and includes transactions, code sets, identifiers and impact), (2) Privacy (patient-health care relationship covering key HIPAA requirements) and (3)Security (compliance life cycle, real-world security policy, computer security models and technical security mechanisms).

The book is focused, fluff-free (to the point of being terse) and up-to-date as of Sep 2001. If you are an IT consultant or a health care IT staff member, especially with direct HIPAA support responsibilities, this is an essential reference.

HIPAA@IT Essentials book is about half as long as Roy Rada's other HIPAA book - HIPAA@IT Reference: Health Information Transactions, Privacy, and Security
ISBN: 1901857050

And, as its name implies, covers the essentials of HIPAA. Those needing to get a quick look at HIPAA should definitely read HIPAA@IT Essentials.

Those who need a more in depth look at HIPAA should read this title in addition to HIPAA@IT Reference.

I bought the previous edition of this book several years ago and learned so much from its straight forward, well-organized and clear presentation (I am neither an accountant nor a tax person) that co-workers and family members began quizzing me on matters of estate planning. This book allowed me to answer many questions and also enabled me to have a very intelligent conversation with a professional estate planner. I consider the book such a valuable resource that I just purchased the updated edition.

Outstanding book to educate yourself on estate planning. This book will prepare you for the planning process so you can understand what your estate planning attorney is talking about and what he or she is trying to accomplish for you. It also very clearly outlines the fallacies inherent in trying to conduct estate planning without competent legal counsel. The authors tell you know how to find competent advice and how to arrange conduct free consultation interviews with any prospective estate planning specialists. If you are even thinking about estate planning, GET THIS BOOK!

I am an estate planning attorney, not affiliated with any of the author's companies, and I think this book is a "must read" for anyone who is serious about planning his/her estate.

By the way, estate planning is for everone, not merely the "wealthy." The cost (in time and fees) to have a customed designed and implemented estate plan will probably be the best investment you will ever make to protect and preserve your wealth for your loved ones.

This book was better than most I've read on estate planning. Its objective was to familiarize the reader with the estate planning process. I'm not sure it really covered "the process." But I think it educates the reader well enough to be an educated consumer when consulting an estate planning attorney for help in estate tax planning matters.

As I read I got the feeling the authors were anti-probate and pro- living trusts. And there were certain things included in the book that made it sound like a promotional piece for the authors' own law practices and organizations. I would have liked it better if the book had not come across as a promotional piece.

The authors say to treat this book as a survey of what estate planning can be. When reading this book (7 years after it was written) I got the feeling the content could have been a bunch of blog entries the authors have posted online that they conveniently strung together to make a book. There are 42 chapters and 4 "entries" in the appendix. And the book is only 330 pages long.

I was looking for a Glossary of Terms, but failed to find one. The book would have been better with one. And I would have liked the book better if Appendix D about the history of estate planning had been moved to the front.

Chapter 1: What is estate planning? I felt this chapter was lousy. It was wordy and vague and not really accurate. Estate planning is really "estate tax planning." It is not financial planning or "wealth strategies planning" as the authors suggest. Nor is estate planning to be confused with "disability planning." As a result, I'm not sure why Chapter 4 was included.

Chapter 8: Probate. I enjoyed reading about estate administration in this chapter. But I think the authors did the reader a disservice by equating the probate process to estate administration. Other problems I had with this chapter include the statement made that executors work for the probate court or probate judge. This simply is not true! Executors work for the estate (a separate legal entity). And the statement that probate is complicated is not accurate as stated. In some cases it can be. But in most it is NOT.

Chapter 9: The federal estate tax. Here the authors repeatedly referred to the estate tax as a death tax. The estate tax has nothing to do with death. It only has to do with wealth transfers. If a poor person dies, then no estate tax is due. If the estate tax were really a death tax, then a tax would be due when a poor person dies.

Chapter 10: The unified system. I had a problem with the material the authors chose to talk about here. Why was it necessary to discuss the way things used to be? As far as I am concerned the book would have been much better if the authors had stuck to the present and explained how things are now. The presentation of the material would have been much more straighforward and easy to understand. 4 stars!

Parents of children who are affected by autism spectrum disorders are well aware of the need to serve as effective advocates for the rights of their children. Imagine the battle that needs to be waged when an entire government fights to withhold funding for the only empirically validated intervention for autism, applied behavior analysis (ABA). Freeman describes the events that occur when a lawsuit is brought about by a group of parents against the government of British Columbia. The lawsuit argues for funding for "Lovaas-style" ABA therapy. In an attempt to block the funding of ABA therapy, the government of British Columbia attempts to discredit Lovaas and ABA through a combination of distortions, selective reporting of the research literature, and questionable ethical practices.

In part one, Freeman outlines the specific strategies used against the parents' lawsuit while explaining why the government of B.C. is outright incorrect in its assertions against ABA and Lovaas. In the second part of the book, Freeman provides dialogue between the lawyers and witnesses (from actual court records) that depict these arguments and counter-arguments. Happily, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled in favor of the parents by declaring that early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is a "medically necessary" treatment for autism and that the B.C. government was in violation of the constitutional rights of the children by not providing funding for this treatment. The court also ruled that the case against Lovaas therapy was biased. Unfortunately, the book concludes by pointing out that the government of B.C. appealed the court's ruling and has still not implemented the funding of Lovaas-style ABA.

This book is a must read for anyone involved in the lives of someone affected by an autism spectrum disorder. It should also be on the reading list of all legal advocates who work in the field of developmental disabilities. Freeman gives us a wonderful guide for effectively arguing against those who would refute the validity of ABA as a science and as an empirically validated educational intervention. "Science For Sale" is a wonderful "candle in the dark" in the field of autism treatment.

Every parent of every child with autism should read this book. It will open your eyes to the way governments use taxpayer dollars to cheat children out of the medical treatment they so vitally need...and it will prepare you for the fight for your own children's rights. Do NOT miss this book!

Another essential read from Sabrina Freeman. Any parent or advocate fighting for the necessary treatment for people with autistic-spectrum disorders must get a copy of this book. It is frightening to see how easily the science can be misquoted and misused in the effort by some to avoiding paying for scientifically-validated treatment. When you have to prepare yourself for the fight, this a resource you must have.

This book is amazing. The authors have a great way of making light of issues that most don't want to think about, let alone read about. While it is light-hearted, the book is also quite informative - It is a must read for old and young.

As a woman who graduated with a Psychology degree - and then shifted gears to become an Estates & Trusts lawyer - I find that Ms. Whitman and Dr. Glisson smoothly combine information from often-disparate schools of thought in their book. Planning for the end of your life is not just a medical, business, or legal affair; it is also a matter of the heart. These authors get that. The tone of the book instantly puts the reader at ease, with the use of humor and quotes from everyday people who completed surveys on the topic, and provides critical information no matter in what stage of life you find yourself. Share it with those you love.

My mother-in-law lost her battle against ovarian cancer in December. If only my husband and I had this book when she was diagnosed! It contains so much helpful advice that could have made the past two years less of a nightmare. The book has great information on clinical trials and hospice. It also would have helped us make sure all the right legal documents were in place. If we'd had access to this information earlier on, I think we could have saved a lot of money on attorney fees. Since I'm in my late thirties, I've never given much thought to wills, etc. But after reading this book, and watching the whole Anna Nicole saga on TV, I understand how crucial it is to have the proper paperwork, and am in the process of having a will and other documents drawn up myself.

Sutcliffe's work is a masterpiece. Very thorough discussion of all aspects of insuring risks in this new area. The sample policy forms are extremely helpful. A must-buy for the busy risk manager who doesn't have time to re-invent the wheel.

My insurance agent recommended that I read this book for the chapters on first-party and third-party risks.

This book quickly explains what all businesses need to know about e-commerce risks and how to cover them. My company has only a basic web site and 50 employees who use the internet, but the risks are still enormous. I now know what to look out for and what new policies will protect the company.