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My grandfather racked up about $40,000 worth of hospital bills and soon after, he passed away. My grandmother racked up about $10,000 worth of hospital bills. They both don't have Medicare A because they didn't work in the US long enough to qualify for Social Security (they are immigrants) but they have a fair amount of savings so they don't qualify for Medicaid.

My grandmother is exhausted and demential and sees the hospital bills and just says "Forget it. I don't want to pay it. What are they going to do to an old lady like me?"

Is she okay in doing that? Will I be responsible for her debt when she passes away?

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I used to work for a patient account department in a local hospital. On the back of each bill there should be an application for financial assistance. Check it out and see if they qualify. I don't believe it matters if they have savings. They may qualify for a discount. Many hospitals have several different types of aid where you can qualify for 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%. even if they only qualify for a partial percentage it may leave a more manageable amount.
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You are absolutely not responsible for those bills. If they die, though, leaving money to you or others, those bills need to be paid before anyone inherits unless they've somehow sheltered their money or hold title to it in certain ways.
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You will not be responsible for her debt however she should make arrangements to make payments even if they are small. The hospital could go after the estate once she passes. You might want to speak with an elder law attorney who will be able to advise you.
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Morally it is NOT OK to refuse to pay these debts. Legally? Well, for sure do not get involved in any attempt to hide funds, etc. You don't want to get involved in fraud. If you have the authority, look over the above posts and take advice on how best to get bills paid. Explain to grandma that the creditors can come after her savings account. If she has been stiffing the IRS, they can come after anything. She may think "I'm just an old lady, what can they do" - the answer here is PLENTY. And for sure you want to stay squeaky clean for your own peace of mind.
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noblerare, if you are her POA, you are responsible to see that debts are paid. Many a POA has ended up in court for failing to see that bills are paid.
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This is a pretty serious issue, and I agree with others here in saying it needs to be addressed immediately. If someone in the family has POA, they need to be addressing it now, not after she dies. In my state, if no caregiver or spouse is living in the house when someone dies, the state can come back and take the house in order to pay the benefits provided under Medicaid. I would think if the hospital wanted to take it far enough, they could challenge the estate in court and win whatever they are owed, plus interest and legal fees. You would be wise to take care of this now - not later.
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Trevor, absolutely do not pay those bill from your own funds. Contact the hospital and explain. They may take what ever is left of the $1000, but as long as you don't sign anything in your own name you do not have to pay it.
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No, it is not okay. Set up a small payment plan after consulting with the hospital. This will delay wiping out her assets, which she will need to live on. Debts can be paid in full from her estate after she passes away. An attorney can negotiate a lesser payment. However, if the bills are already in a collection agency's hands, you will need an attorney. This is a difficult situation for you, hang in there. Thanks for asking your question.
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I wish we lived in a time and place where no one knew what "medical bankruptcy" meant. Some friends of mine were uninsured and waited until the hubby's Crohn's disease was way out of control and landed him in ICU...and a friend of my daughter's actually died from going to the ER too late. Prices are such that you can easily end up having to decide whether to pay for medication OR pay the rent and eat.

Hospital need to stay funded so yes, they will go after it, they will turn it over to collections, they will try to get it from the estate if there is one. You can usually talk to them to make arrangements to pay "something" and they would often rather get "something" instead of nothing in the long run...in general, they cannot go after children to pay, unless there is some kind of filial responsibility law that would require it, and you'd have to check with an eldercare attorney. I did pay some of my mom's assisted living bills briefly and bought her lots of her OTC stuff.

Wish this was easier.
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What about a situation where there are hospital bills due shortly before a person went on Medicaid. In this case, the Medicaid patient has less than $1,000 in assets. Bills are not substantial but the patient cannot pay them from personal funds. Should POA pay out of their funds? Will hospital forgive these bills?
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I am so sorry your going thru this....and it is going to get worse. Ask his dr. For a dementia order that allows you to take over the finances and Bill paying. Then open a soc sec acct as rep . It is both of their best interest and u will have control of finances. Soc sec will watch closely as u have to report to them ...I would definitely see atty for grounding of all being done.
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I think you might want to call a senior hotline and get a social worker involved. Your parents need some kind of health insurance. Perhaps they can help you find something affordable. For the bills already accrued, I would try to negotiate with the hospital, perhaps with a patient advocate. A social worker might be able to help with that as well. I seem to have better luck when an advocate familiar with the ropes is running interference for me than when I am working on my own.
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It doesn't "fly" if the elder says "forget it; I don't want to pay it and pushes the bill aside." They no longer have the mental "wherewithal." Hospitals are businesses and SOMEONE is going have to step up to the plate and pay the bill, which is now in arrears!
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Why the h*ll would it be ok? You are asking if it's ok to be a dead beat? I think you know the answer to that one
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They will eventually come after her estate for the money. In the meantime, you must NOT sign anything without using your POA (assuming you have one). Be careful. When Dad was in rehab, he went over his allowed time by only three days. (3 days equaled more than $900 out of pocket) The rehab facility administrator kept trying to get me to sign the papers for him without adding the "POA" at the end of my name. I showed my copies to the lawyer later, and he said that two of them would have obligated me personally to pay, if I had left off the "POA" designation as that woman had wanted. (Honestly, I might have just signed my name like she wanted, if I hadn't felt "pressured" by her, which made me so uneasy, I took back a few pages from the pile, to be certain the POA was on them.") Always CYA.
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This surprises me because the elderly I see are afraid not to pay their bills. Plus, they pay when they don 't need to when someone has made a posting error not in their favor. I first would make sure that everything is accurate. That the supplimental has been used. Then as suggested, speak with the financial department in person. If u don't get anywhere with the employee ask for someone higher. They may set up a payment plan but not one payment can be missed and interest may be applied. This will be a lean and can effect whether they can get into a nursing facility later. While on a payment plan they should not send it to collections as long as ur paying regularly. Make sure u ask that question.
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Morally or Legally?

I'd also like to know what you think because I believe you know this is not right.
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Noblerare, you will not personally be responsible for her debt, but your grandmother should make an effort to pay some of the hospital bill. You grandmother's attitude is why immigration reform should not be allowed.
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Contact the Hospital and ask to negotiate the bill down to a reasonable amount. They are technically liable for that bill just like anyone else. I am surprised that the hospital allowed them to leave without signing something stating they would pay.
Any money left when they die must be used for outstatnding bills even if they don't have enough to go to probate.
It is true that we all bear the cost of unpaid medical bills through our taxes and higher insurance premiums.
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Cheryl,

Is your dad just stubborn or is he incompetent? Maybe his doctor needs to evaluate his competency?
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Valencom I do agree people shouldn't expect everything for free, but I think the prices charged are unreasonably expensive. It's as if people who have worked hard and saved are punished & their money is cleared out, and people who have lived off the system or carelessly handled their money are rewarded.
OP the answer is yes she does or they'll find a way to take it.
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People, no matter their age, need to understand that America doesn't OWE them free stuff. Even though it's gotten trendy to think so, it ain't so. Because we -- the American citizens, taxpayers and payer of private health insurance -- end up getting socked for their delinquency. My dad had Medicare, and he STILL had to pay almost 50,000 our of pocket for nursing care while in rehab.
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My Father was born here and has Social Security, Medicare, but not Medigap. He did not want to pay the Medigap premiums and now does not want to pay the 20% of the bill he has. He is 90 and is blocking care of my 90 year old Mother. Of course he does not want to pay for her care either and she does have proper insurance. He doesn't even like to pay his electric bill. You get the idea. Tried to take me off of POA when both my parents were in hospital because I kept up with all his house bills. Said that we made the water bill high by flushing the toilet. My Father is beyond help. I am an only child so I am about to give up.
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noblerare, once gmo passes, her estate will need to pass thru probate court (even if there is a will....some states let smaller estates pass thru easier than others, but NOT if there are outstanding claims). the hospital & any other doctor bills, even the landlord, will file a claim in probate court for unpaid bills. yes any assets will be used to pay all creditors. hospitals are very wise about immediately filing a claim in probate, so you won't be able to avoid paying these bills out of the estate. if there is not enough money, then a judge will pro-rate the amounts so that all creditors get something. they keep her estate "open" for a certain length of time, to allow all creditors to file their claims. the heirs will not be able to get anything until the estate is settled. if you try to empty out the account (to avoid paying bills) the state will come after you.
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Yikes. Hm, well, my grandparents' only asset is a savings account. They rent an apartment. When grandmother passes, will the hospital/collection agency try to seize her savings account? Will we be responsible for any unpaid bills?
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Whoever has poa a should talk to a representative of the hospital. They will likely settle for partial payment if you get a lawyer involved. If you let it go they will send it to collection and see a judgement against her assets.
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No, she must or her POA must use her money to pay her bills. My mother tried this same type of thing with similar excuses once I caught her about overdue taxes. The IRS had been coming and she had been hiding the letters until we got a new caregiver who showed us what was going on.
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