Medical Needs Assessments are extremely useful tools for attorneys or insurance companies to expedite rapid resolution of personal injury claims. A Medical Needs Assessment is an overview of costs in current dollars to evaluate and manage a specific injury. These assessments have a more limited scope than a Comprehensive Life Care Plan, and are appropriate when there is a specific, apparently focused injury or illness.

To prepare a Medical Needs Assessment we determine the expected health care needs of a patient and collect data on what expenses will be incurred for the necessary professional fees, evaluations and interventions, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medications, durable medical equipment, supplies and related requirements to fully address the medical issue at hand.

Components of a Medical Needs Assessment:

• Summary of Clinical Events
• Statement of Specific Short-term Needs (this is commonly focused on a single organ system and may revolve around a specific series of surgeries and associated treatments).
• Expected Course With and Without Interventions
• Anticipated Procedures with CPT and DRG codes
• Cost Estimates to provide the anticipated care. This really helps get cases resolved.

Medical Needs Assessments may be particularly useful to Personal Injury attorneys with clients who have been in motor vehicle accidents, industrial accidents, maritime incidents, and similar types of events.