My mother will be transitioning to a Medicaid/SSA/SSI Assisted Living facility. She will have no income aside from the $30/month. She will no longer be able to afford to pay a past medical bill. What will happen if she stops paying it?
If this is a sizable account she owes on they can get a court judgement, but they cannot access SS funds for payment. If Mom has a home worst that would happen would be a lien on the home, and collection by creditors upon/at sale of the home in future.
The family will continue to get letters and it's important that NO ONE may even a tiny payment on this or it is considered "assuming the loan" and they can be liable to pay. It is important Mom make no small payment, as well, or this increases the number of years (often 5) they can attempt to collect on this debt.
This debt will likely be "sold" by the grantor to a collection agency. That's when the fun of the phone calls begins. Ignore and hang up. Do not speak to them unless to tell them what you told us about her having no income monthly and being unable to pay.
Your mother's credit, of course, WILL BE/should be ruined. That's fine. She no longer needs credit and should be incurring no future debts given she cannot pay past ones.
Remember, do not get tricked into making any payment yourself!
I, personally, would send a letter to the medical provider. Tell them that Ms. So and so will be entering a care facility under medicaid and that she will no longer have any funds to pay her bill and thank you for your consideration.
Do NOT provide any of your information, or refer to her as mom in the letter, write it as you would for a stranger, this will stop them from bothering you and it is proof that they were notified. I would do the electronic notification of delivery, in case the company says they never received it.
If they know she is going on medicaid, into a facility they might just write the debt off and not hassle her or you trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.
Besides, I think it is just the right way to handle debts, you don't just walk away and ignore them, just my opinion.
When my MIL applied for Medicaid, they wanted to see any medical bills owed 3 months prior to her qualifying. They can't collect on that bill if she's on Medicaid... there's no money to do so. You could ask her case worker.
Medicaid never covers the full cost. They have a limit. My Mom was on Medicaid for 3 months. She owed them 6k. She contrbuted 1700 a month. So monthly the NH was paid 3700 a month. Private pay was 9300 a month.
The USA is screwed up on the Medicare field. For years I had paid co-pay but the Dr. Ate the rest.
To me in LTC if they come after paying unpaid get the state to audit the facility like they do cities and twp's and the like they won't but we got to start somewhere on these thieves crooks n criminals. Write the US SENATE Committee on aging. Just Reactivated this year after a Haitus for a decade or rwo. Start somewhere for us now and those who will follow. Be urgent.
She has no funds.
If this is a sizable account she owes on they can get a court judgement, but they cannot access SS funds for payment. If Mom has a home worst that would happen would be a lien on the home, and collection by creditors upon/at sale of the home in future.
The family will continue to get letters and it's important that NO ONE may even a tiny payment on this or it is considered "assuming the loan" and they can be liable to pay. It is important Mom make no small payment, as well, or this increases the number of years (often 5) they can attempt to collect on this debt.
This debt will likely be "sold" by the grantor to a collection agency. That's when the fun of the phone calls begins. Ignore and hang up. Do not speak to them unless to tell them what you told us about her having no income monthly and being unable to pay.
Your mother's credit, of course, WILL BE/should be ruined. That's fine. She no longer needs credit and should be incurring no future debts given she cannot pay past ones.
Remember, do not get tricked into making any payment yourself!
Do NOT provide any of your information, or refer to her as mom in the letter, write it as you would for a stranger, this will stop them from bothering you and it is proof that they were notified. I would do the electronic notification of delivery, in case the company says they never received it.
If they know she is going on medicaid, into a facility they might just write the debt off and not hassle her or you trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.
Besides, I think it is just the right way to handle debts, you don't just walk away and ignore them, just my opinion.
To me in LTC if they come after paying unpaid get the state to audit the facility like they do cities and twp's and the like they won't but we got to start somewhere on these thieves crooks n criminals. Write the US SENATE Committee on aging. Just Reactivated this year after a Haitus for a decade or rwo. Start somewhere for us now and those who will follow. Be urgent.
Then you'll get free room and board by the state or feds. Visiting hours and usually jails and prisons are reputable.
Probably won't like rest of your life one way or the other pick the best you’ll like.