Medicare won't talk to me because I'm the trustee, not Executor. No probate, so no judge. Is there a form I can submit? The person I talked to was not willing to help if I do not have a letter of testimentary. That will only happen if his estate goes to probate court, and it does not require probate. I'm willing to resolve bills, but some of the services won't submit bills to Medicare, since they know Medicare won't pay, and even if the secondary insurance won't pay unless it goes through Medicare. They expect me to submit to Medicare myself, and pay it all and try to be reimbursed by insurance. This is crazy enough, but Medicare won't let me submit the claim because I am the trust appointed sucessor trustee, not the judge appointed Executor. Is the Medicare rep I talked to wrong, or is there a document I can submit to be able to work with them? I have been able to handle all other matters of his estate as trustee, why would Medicare have an issue?
They flat need to bill Medicare and whatever secondary insurer dad had.
Your dad did the trust most likely for asset protection and to avoid probate. The trust is its own free standing legal entity. Bills don't say "Trust xYZ" but "John smith" or "estate of John Smith". John smith is dead and if there's no probate opened then no estate. There is nothing or nobody, the vendors can go after. The bill becomes debt written off.
Personally, the only thing I would do is send creditors is a copy of the death certificate. They must realize that they cannot collect from someone who has passed away and frankly, no one else has liability for this debt. If Medicare is giving the provider a hassle, that's between the provider and Medicare.
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