My mom died June 21...have a question, pls help

[Debp]

May God richly bless you sister in Christ.

Thanks so much. You were a big help to me with your advice.

 

[marks]

It's hospital bills...one just arrived last night. (Paid others previous to mom's passing on.)

I expect the hip surgery bill and the hospital deductible bill of $1600 plus. Unless the surgeon decided not to bill for surgery.... would be nice.

The home care agency and also the hospice care are paid by Medicare, thank God!!!



Thankfully she had no pain. But after she fell and had hip surgery on March 5, she was bedridden. Never was able to get out of bed again... although the physical therapist and the occupational therapist tried to help her.

She wasn't eating much....then on June 3, she stopped eating. Just did sips of water throughout the day and night which I gave her.

She was put on hospice care nine days before she passed on.

Someone signed as the financially responsible party. If you did not do that you are not responsible. The creditor can make a claim against her estate, but cannot require you, a 3rd party, to pay the bills.

Much love!

 

[Debp]

Someone signed as the financially responsible party. If you did not do that you are not responsible. The creditor can make a claim against her estate, but cannot require you, a 3rd party, to pay the bills.

Much love!

I didn't sign as a guarantor. Mom had no estate...only Social Security and a tiny pension.

 

[Debp]

@amadeus
Miracles still happen! Just got off of the phone with Mark at the hospital billing office. Told him about mom's passing away on June 21.

When he checked her account, it came up as zero owing! (It had been a remaining balance of just under $1400.)

I'm thinking maybe they discovered they had indeed sold mom's bill to collections, after three women said it wouldn't be sold to collections and the hospital had taken two payments already.

But anyhow thankful to God for this working out.



Btw, the collections robo call came earlier this a.m. So I asked them what it's about....that I don't owe anything. He asked if I was (mom's name)....when I said no, he wouldn't discuss anything with me. But I did tell him that my mom is deceased and she didn't have anything but social security and a tiny pension. That the 2022 hospital had sent the bill to the wrong address so we never got it until this year. He said he would remove my phone number. So hopefully that is the end of that.

P.S. Just the current hospital deductible bill and another doctor bill to deal with now, phoning them on Friday.

@marks The above is the latest as of today.

I did have mom on joint checking with me in case I died first. But am getting her name off of the main (my) account tomorrow.

The other account where her Social Security and tiny pension went....am waiting for Social Security to put back three weeks of June. Mom died on the 21st June. Balance is very small in that account where her Social Security went.

 

[marks]

I did have mom on joint checking with me in case I died first. But am getting her name off of the main (my) account tomorrow.

My wife and I were made co-owners of her mother's checking account for the purpose of our paying her bills while she was declining. When she died, title to that account passed to my wife and I, free and clear. That was with our local credit union.

Much love!

 

[Raccoon1010]

@amadeus
Miracles still happen! Just got off of the phone with Mark at the hospital billing office. Told him about mom's passing away on June 21.

When he checked her account, it came up as zero owing! (It had been a remaining balance of just under $1400.)

I'm thinking maybe they discovered they had indeed sold mom's bill to collections, after three women said it wouldn't be sold to collections and the hospital had taken two payments already.

But anyhow thankful to God for this working out.



Btw, the collections robo call came earlier this a.m. So I asked them what it's about....that I don't owe anything. He asked if I was (mom's name)....when I said no, he wouldn't discuss anything with me. But I did tell him that my mom is deceased and she didn't have anything but social security and a tiny pension. That the 2022 hospital had sent the bill to the wrong address so we never got it until this year. He said he would remove my phone number. So hopefully that is the end of that.

P.S. Just the current hospital deductible bill and another doctor bill to deal with now, phoning them on Friday.

@Debp I am definately with you in prayer to our Loving Father in Heaven. I will check in every so often. I did read this post and praying with you on the matter to our God.

 

[Taken]

Mom was a Christian (94 years old) and thankfully passed on peacefully on June 21.

The home care agency owner said I'm not responsible for any medical bills that come in after my mom's death.

Does anyone have knowledge about this situation? Should I write "deceased and return to sender" on the unopened envelope?

I already am making payments on a different medical bill for her...have 16 more months to pay it off. Will ask them if I need to keep paying. But the new bills coming in now...I wondered about those.

If you agreed to pay your moms bills, you might be saddled with that agreement.

If your mom left a will, an executor would have been “named” to handle settling her affairs.

If your mom left no will, the court would appoint an executor. The executor would be responsible for paying your moms bills “out of the funds of her estate / assets.
This is the called “PROBATE”, and the probate division of a local court house would have those records.

If your mom left no “assets” at the time of her passing, you may have no responsibility to pay her debts.

You may want to see if there is an attorney in your area that will do FREE initial consultations. Have a list of precise questions prepared, because after the “FREE” initial … every communication, and every letter or call to check on anything For you will add up in fees very quickly.

Also there may be Online foundations that can direct you to specific answers to your issue of responsibility of paying debts of a deceased family member.

Sorry for your loss.
God bless you.

Taken

 

[Debp]

If your mom left no “assets” at the time of her passing, you may have no responsibility to pay her debts.

Mom only had a small Social Security and a $64 a month pension. She had nothing so no will.

And I never signed anything to be a guarantor for her hospital bills. (Several bills were paid while she was still living.)

 

[Debp]

@amadeus @marks

I talked to the second (2024) hospital today about the deductible mom owed. (Although someone there had told me to speak with a lady in Decedent Affairs.... today I was told to call another number, main billing office. In Los Angeles one is often told different things by different people!!!)

Anyhow the man today said that her bill will simply go to collections, where they will see if she had an estate. And most probably write the bill off.
He said I didn't need to send the death certificate.

@amadeus Since you worked for Social Security: I called mom's bank....it seems that Social Security has already put back her June check (the entire amount). I thought they would only reimburse three weeks in June when mom was living.

Anyhow I will wait awhile before taking her name off of the joint account I guess.

 

[marks]

In Los Angeles one is often told different things by different people!!!)

My wife and I both frequently run into that same problem. It can make things difficult, and then we run into the one who makes it easy. We just never know!

I'm really glad you are getting these things settled. It's enough to lose your mother, then to slog through the quagmire!

Much love!

 

[Debp]

My wife and I both frequently run into that same problem. It can make things difficult, and then we run into the one who makes it easy. We just never know!

I'm really glad you are getting these things settled. It's enough to lose your mother, then to slog through the quagmire!

Much love!

Yes, the quagmire is very stressful. One can hardly have time to miss one's loved one due to all of this stuff.

 

[amadeus]

@amadeus @marks

I talked to the second (2024) hospital today about the deductible mom owed. (Although someone there had told me to speak with a lady in Decedent Affairs.... today I was told to call another number, main billing office. In Los Angeles one is often told different things by different people!!!)

Anyhow the man today said that her bill will simply go to collections, where they will see if she had an estate. And most probably write the bill off.
He said I didn't need to send the death certificate.

@amadeus Since you worked for Social Security: I called mom's bank....it seems that Social Security has already put back her June check (the entire amount). I thought they would only reimburse three weeks in June when mom was living.

Anyhow I will wait awhile before taking her name off of the joint account I guess

I am very glad it is all working out for you.