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

[Debp]

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.

 

[BlessedPeace]

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.

First, *Hugs

I'd contact the agency and ask them about the newly arriving bills first.

My Deepest Sympathy

To You And Your Family​

 

[PS95]

94 yrs old and a believer & a peaceful passing! You couldn't have a better scenario with the parting of your loved one. I pray you are comforted with abundant hope!
I'm sorry that I don't have an answer to your question. I would just call them.

 

[Ziggy]

I am sorry for your loss Debp.
My dad has a trust and has left everything to my daughter.
His health insurance covers everything. I don't get medical bills.
He already has paid for his cremation and burial plot and stone.
I don't know what resposibilities I will have when he goes. I will have to contact the lawyer and find out.
I wish I could be of more help.

Much Love
hugs

 

[Debp]

First, *Hugs

I'd contact the agency and ask them about the newly arriving bills first.

My Deepest Sympathy

To You And Your Family​

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!!!

94 yrs old and a believer & a peaceful passing! You couldn't have a better scenario with the parting of your loved one. I pray you are comforted with abundant hope!
I'm sorry that I don't have an answer to your question. I would just call them.

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.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

it's not so sad when your loved ones die peacefully at old age but I'm sure we all wish they could've lived longer because we're still living here but it's nice to know that they're in a better place than us right now, in Heaven

 

[Kabone]

I’m not a lawyer, accountant, or financial advisor. I do know that your credit card debt dies with you. I’m pretty sure all debts die with you unless it’s like a mortgage where your kids inherit the house.
There might be something if you assumed the medical debt instead of just doing a nice thing of paying for it. Definitely check with a 3rd party pro. Of course the hospital will tell you you’re responsible for the debt. Don’t ignore them though. The last thing you want is for it to go to collection, and then you can get saddled with it just by answering the phone and telling them your name. (whole different legal scenario there)
Good luck and god bless.

 

[Debp]

I’m not a lawyer, accountant, or financial advisor. I do know that your credit card debt dies with you. I’m pretty sure all debts die with you unless it’s like a mortgage where your kids inherit the house.
There might be something if you assumed the medical debt instead of just doing a nice thing of paying for it. Definitely check with a 3rd party pro. Of course the hospital will tell you you’re responsible for the debt. Don’t ignore them though. The last thing you want is for it to go to collection, and then you can get saddled with it just by answering the phone and telling them your name. (whole different legal scenario there)
Good luck and god bless.

Thanks for your input.

My mom didn't have a credit card. So the two payments I made so far for the one hospital bill that the hospital kept sending to a wrong address, I put those on my credit card. (Which I pay off each month.)

Anyhow, I will talk with them about it.

When the big bills come, I will probably call the hospital and surgeon to ask about those. I never signed anything about being a "guarantor."

I never want anything to go to collections. When I paid the ambulance bill, they had a note on the bill if it goes to collections, they add on about 39% interest!

 

[PS95]

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.

((((hugs))))

 

[JohnDB]

Been through this with my mother and brother recently. I'm not a lawyer and things vary from state to state.

All bills/debts die with them....kinda.

What really matters is if she had an estate of any size or value and the money grabbing factor of those seeking money.

Her creditors can sue her estate and if you were the sole recipient of her estate then any bills she owed would need to be paid out of her estate...depriving you of the death benefits of a life insurance policy or savings account.

And of course you need to tell the SS office she has passed so they will stop sending the deposits in her account. (They may seek a refund one day)
Property taxes? Maybe....income taxes? You might get away without filing state income taxes....definitely federal.

Hopefully she left a will if she had any real property or assets. If all she had was bills stop paying them immediately. Sending copies of the death certificate to any and all creditors usually suffices....a certified one for some things which usually can be had for $10-15.

I don't need to know the details but just wanted to fill in what I did know from burying my mother and brother this past year.

 

[amadeus]

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.

I am not an attorney, but I worked for the Social Security Administration for many years. I offer the following as general information, which should be correct for most people in most states.

Normally only a spouse [or perhaps the parent of a minor child] would possibly be responsible for the debts of a deceased person. An adult child would not be responsible unless he/she specifically signed something taking on the liability. This would be unusual. I would close or take your name off any bank accounts held jointly by you and her.

If you are making payments against her medical bills, I would simply stop until and if they show that they have a legal right to expect payment from you. If in doubt about this, call them first and simply advise them of your mother's death. Some of them might make claims against your mother's estate. Of course, if she had nothing there would be nothing to claim. All of her income would stop so there could be no source of payment.

 

[JohnDB]

Those bills you paid with a credit card in your name?
Yeah....you have to pay that.

 

[Debp]

I am not an attorney, but I worked for the Social Security Administration for many years. I offer the following as general information, which should be correct for most people in most states.

Normally only a spouse [or perhaps the parent of a minor child] would possibly be responsible for the debts of a deceased person. An adult child would not be responsible unless he/she specifically signed something taking on the liability. This would be unusual. I would close or take your name off any bank accounts held jointly by you and her.

If you are making payments against her medical bills, I would simply stop until and if they show that they have a legal right to expect payment from you. If in doubt about this, call them first and simply advise them of your mother's death. Some of them might make claims against your mother's estate. Of course, if she had nothing there would be nothing to claim. All of her income would stop so there could be no source of payment.

She only got a little over $1,200 a month Social Security including a $64 a month pension.

I do have two joint checking accounts with her. Her Social Security went into one account and mine went into the other account. There is more money in the account where my Social Security is going.

Social Security said they might take her June payment back (she died June 21). If so, they would send a letter and I have to fill out a form to get the money back for the three weeks she was living in June. So I need to keep her name on that account until I see what Social Security does.

 

[amadeus]

She only got a little over $1,200 a month Social Security including a $64 a month pension.

I do have two joint checking accounts with her. Her Social Security went into one account and mine went into the other account. There is more money in the account where my Social Security is going.

Social Security said they might take her June payment back (she died June 21). If so, they would send a letter and I have to fill out a form to get the money back for the three weeks she was living in June. So I need to keep her name on that account until I see what Social Security does.

Social Security will take care of her check. I would strongly suggest having your money deposited in an account without her name on it. If one of her creditors wanted to pursue it they might put a lien against the account, even though it was mostly your money.

 

[Debp]

Social Security will take care of her check. I would strongly suggest having your money deposited in an account without her name on it. If one of her creditors wanted to pursue it they might put a lien against the account, even though it was mostly your money.

Do you think I can just ask the bank to remove her name from the account? (And temporarily keep the other account where her Social Security went into.)

 

[amadeus]

Do you think I can just ask the bank to remove her name from the account? (And temporarily keep the other account where her Social Security went into.)

Perhaps they will when they are aware she's gone.

 

[JohnDB]

Do you think I can just ask the bank to remove her name from the account? (And temporarily keep the other account where her Social Security went into.)

The bank is going to need a death certificate....the official one instead of photocopied. Wherever they issue them. Usually just $15-$20 per certificate.

And a copy of the will....otherwise things can get difficult due to probate. (Depends on the laws in your state)

In some states if your mom's name was on anything then it has to go through probate before you can touch anything. Even if she did have a will.
I remember my father having a difficult time with his mom's estate in Oregon. And it was just a house that they sold and divided between his brother and himself. There were a couple savings accounts she had too....

 

[Debp]

The bank is going to need a death certificate....the official one instead of photocopied. Wherever they issue them. Usually just $15-$20 per certificate.

And a copy of the will....otherwise things can get difficult due to probate. (Depends on the laws in your state)

In some states if your mom's name was on anything then it has to go through probate before you can touch anything. Even if she did have a will.
I remember my father having a difficult time with his mom's estate in Oregon. And it was just a house that they sold and divided between his brother and himself. There were a couple savings accounts she had too....

No will. My mom had nothing. I put her on joint checking accounts with me in case I died first.

I phoned the bank last night. He noted that she died but told me to call back today and talk with some estate department. But she doesn't have an estate....I guess I just tell them that.

The banker last night said I can still use the same checks even with her name on them. I told him I must be able to use the checks in order to pay bills and the rent.