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Husband sued for deceased wife’s unpaid medical bill
KSL ^ | MATT GEPHARDT AND CINDY ST. CLAIR

Posted on 03/29/2023 12:09:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway

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To: Gunslingr3

Health care provision is restricted by law. Health care charges should also be restricted by law.

Salesmen generally eat the cost of failed sales attempts very often.


21 posted on 03/29/2023 12:30:44 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: nickcarraway

“More and more states agree. At one point, what is on Utah’s books was the law of the land, but in recent years, 10 states have repealed the law, allowing surviving spouses to be sued personally for unpaid medical debt. A hospital or doctor could go after the estate, but if the estate has nothing, then the hospital cannot collect for the person who didn’t incur the debt, Iuliano said.”

Seems like hospitals and doctors in those states would have to cut off people who have no means of paying for services they’d like to receive. Unless of course they are bailed out by the public via socialism.


22 posted on 03/29/2023 12:30:49 PM PDT by Chewbarkah
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To: RedElement

Well, that’s what I mean. I’m heavily on the side of the medical providers. They already deeply discount these services, and insurance barely covers their costs with the contracted prices.


23 posted on 03/29/2023 12:31:33 PM PDT by fwdude (Society has been fully polarized now, and you have to decide on which pole you want to be found.)
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To: sten
pay the bills and be done with it. don’t let the last memory of your wife be that of a deadbeat.

Yep it's $3,000, not $30,000 or $300,000

24 posted on 03/29/2023 12:31:49 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: RedElement

Laypeople rely on experts to determine service suitability.

The services failed apparently.


25 posted on 03/29/2023 12:33:04 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Chewbarkah

Agree. Especially if he has negotiated or contracted with the insurance company in the past. If so, he is liable.


26 posted on 03/29/2023 12:33:32 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (Donald Trump is a setting sun. Ron DeSantis is a rising star.)
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To: nickcarraway
I rented a room from a couple of brother's living in their parent's home (inherited on their parent's death). The elder brother needed kidney dialysis 2x each week for years. All of the services after age 55 were tallied against him for collection after he passed. The surviving siblings decided to sell the house. The elder's brother's estate included the house, so the government took a $55,000 bite out of the home sale proceeds to claw back expenses for his services. This occurred in San Diego in the 2015 time frame.
27 posted on 03/29/2023 12:33:44 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: sten

If I lost my wife to cancer, a $3,000 unpaid hospital bill would be among the least of my worries. I’d find a way to get that paid in her memory. Even if I had to get an extra job for a while to pay for it (not sure how old this guy is).


28 posted on 03/29/2023 12:34:11 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (5,016,040 Truth | 87,429,920 Twitter)
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To: 1Old Pro

New York State Medicaid took $1955 from my uncle’s estate. I don’t think it was for nursing home care.

It may have enable him to get care or coverage at Medicaid pricing.


29 posted on 03/29/2023 12:36:40 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: TheDon

Forced insurance will do that.


30 posted on 03/29/2023 12:38:06 PM PDT by SPDSHDW (Ya’ll knew he was installed via fraud, and chose to do nothing. Enjoy the roller coaster ride.)
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To: nickcarraway

“This bill came to me in forms of a lawsuit,” Keith said. “By the time this goes all through court, they’re talking to over $3,000.”


31 posted on 03/29/2023 12:38:11 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: nickcarraway
Not exactly the same as a marriage joint property deal like in this case, but Hospitals and the like will do some shady stuff to get you on the hook for bills.

A couple years ago my Great Aunt had to be put in a Nursing Home, her son was long haul truck driver and was often on the road, so I agreed to help him out. Went to the nursing facility, they pulled me into a room and started shoving papers in front of him and telling me I had to sign them. I kept telling them I was only helping her son and his name should be on them, but they were very insistent. Finally, I just grabbed the papers and told them I would need to read them over and I would bring them back tomorrow. They weren't happy with that but finally let me leave. Good thing I did read them over! I was basically signing a document saying I would agree to be financially responsible for ALL her medical debts and nursing expenses going forward that weren't covered by Medicare or Insurance. And they literally tried shoving it in front of me and telling me it was "standard paperwork" and demanded I sign before I had a clue what I was signing.

32 posted on 03/29/2023 12:38:17 PM PDT by apillar
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To: Responsibility2nd

In colonial Philadelphia it was common to run an ad to disclaim responsibility for a wife’s purchases.


33 posted on 03/29/2023 12:40:28 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: RedElement
Fill up the cart at the grocery, pay for them. Turn on the lights, pay the electric bill. Fill the car with gas, pay the station.

Medical expenses are so opaque. The gas station has a big sign out front with the price per gallon. The pump updates you as you fill it. Supermarkets are usually pretty good about posting the prices of their products as you fill your cart.

A few years ago, we had an exchange student from Colombia. She took out insurance for her visit. She was helping out with our church. She fell and hurt her ankle. Her mother in Colombia wanted her to go to the emergency room. It was a mild sprain, and they only taped it up. Her insurance paid over $3,000. She goes home, and WE get a bill as my wife was the one who brought her in to the emergency room. They still wanted $600 from us. I kept on providing the her insurance, and several bill collectors tried to make us pay $600 AFTER the hospital got thousands for treatment that was worth only a couple of hundred. I finally shook them.

This is NOT like going into the Whole Foods and paying a 30% premium on a grocery bill.
34 posted on 03/29/2023 12:45:02 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana
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To: fwdude
What I don’t like is doctors not explaining this in advance.

My wife was a Clinic Administrator with 48 direct reporting staff and 13 physicians and I will tell you that the physicians have no idea what a patient is being charged in most cases.

We had a family member with a cardiac event (not a heart attack) in the hospital overnight for a total of 23 hours and the bill a decade ago was $34,000. The Cardiologist had mentioned later the advice of "just go to the hospital" and when I said the cost, even covered by insurance, was a concern and told him the figure, he was taken aback.

35 posted on 03/29/2023 12:45:12 PM PDT by KC Burke (Diversity, Inclusion and Equity is not another way to spell GOD but it is a way to spell DIE.)
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To: TheDon

“It wouldn’t be as much of an issue if medical costs weren’t 10x what they should be.”

That and medical prices are never the same twice. Mirrors and shadows of penumbras.


36 posted on 03/29/2023 12:45:16 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: fwdude

“I’m torn on this. Services were rendered and the recipient is on the hook for them. I’ve been in the medical field and revenue goes to pay largely for employees and their benefits, including insurance.”

This is simple not true. Hospitals get most of their money by over charging insurance companies. I had chemo port installed. A 3-hour max out patient procedure. They charge Medicare and my insurance $53,000 dollars. Really?

This hospital likely collected 100s of thousands of dollars for her care from insurance and are worried about hounding him for $3000.

While in the hospital for my cancer surgery they ran dozens of tests that I likely didn’t need. Tests that had nothing to do with cancer and all came back negative.


37 posted on 03/29/2023 12:46:40 PM PDT by BushCountry (A properly cast vote (1 day voting) can save you $3.00 a gallon.)
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To: nickcarraway

.


38 posted on 03/29/2023 12:46:53 PM PDT by sauropod (“If they don’t believe our lies, well, that’s just conspiracy thmkeorist stuff, there.”)
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To: SamAdams76
Over $3,000. might be $3,999, probably less. I lost my wife last year and her unpaid medical bills were around $500. Hospital sent me a letter saying "pay up" or "fill out this multipage form giving us a colonoscopy of your finances."

I wrote back and said payment arrangements have already been made and congratulations on p*$$ing away the goodwill that might have resulted in a donation many times that amount.

39 posted on 03/29/2023 12:48:44 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: nickcarraway

The law in Florida is otherwise.


40 posted on 03/29/2023 12:49:21 PM PDT by Rockingham
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