Nursing Home Bill

deesant

 Hello,

I am my mother's Power of Attorney.  She had been paying her nursing home with her own money.  She just went on Medicaid.  She has a balance with the nursing home for her private pay care.  She owes about $2000 there and I am able to pay $100 a month.  They want the whole amount and sent me a letter threatening to send the amount owed to a collection agency.  Would I be liable as her Power of Attorney to pay her debts?  Can they send me to the collection agency?

Thanks

harshedbuzz

I am sorry you are dealing with this on top of everything else.

Whether you can be held liable for your mom's nursing home charges will depend on 2 things- the state in which you are located and the contract signed on admission.

Look at the contract to see whether this is fleshed out. My mom's CELA looked at the contract for dad's care before signing and advised keeping my name off the contract entirely for this reason. Some states do have filial laws that hold adult children responsible for their parents' expenses but they tend not to be rigorously enforced. 

This article discusses that. Consulting a CELA makes sense, too.

Your Obligation to Pay a Parent's Nursing Home Bill | Nolo

RIM

$100 a month on a $2000 balance is more than reasonable.  They are threatening a collection agency trying to put leverage on you to pay in full.  If they do send you to collections, the agency will absorb 35% of what they collect, while you still make monthly payments.  If they threatening you again with sending your balance to collections, offer them $50 a month.