{"id":9479,"date":"2016-06-13T12:45:14","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T17:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=9479"},"modified":"2016-06-13T12:42:46","modified_gmt":"2016-06-13T17:42:46","slug":"are-you-responsible-to-pay-your-parents-nursing-home-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/06\/are-you-responsible-to-pay-your-parents-nursing-home-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Responsible to Pay your Parent’s Nursing Home Bill?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are You Responsible to Pay your Parent’s Nursing\"Are Home Bill?<\/h1>\n

If you have aging parents, these headlines can deprive you of sleep: \u201cPaying for Mom<\/a><\/strong>: Little-Known Laws Force Families to Fund Parents\u2019 Care,\u201d \u201cSon Hit<\/a><\/strong> with Aging Parent’s $93K Nursing Home Bill,\u201d and more\u00a0about adult children having to pay for their parents\u2019 care. Can you really be forced to pay your parents\u2019 bills? Sometimes the answer is yes. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n

Financial responsibility for parents varies by state<\/h2>\n

Laws in 29 states and Puerto Rico hold adult children responsible for the cost of their parents\u2019 care if the parents are unable to pay. To see if you live in a so-called \u201cfilial support\u201d state, check this Forbes chart<\/a><\/strong>. If your state isn\u2019t on your list, your responsibilities are a matter of your conscience and your ability to help.<\/p>\n

If your state does have such a law, you need to understand exactly what it says. Specifics vary by state. For example, in some states adult children are only required to help with certain types of care. In others there are exceptions for adult children who can\u2019t afford to pay. You also need to make sure your parents have a plan to cover as many\u00a0of their long-term care costs as possible.<\/p>\n

New enforcement of a very old law<\/h2>\n

Experts say care providers usually don\u2019t use these laws to recover payments. AARP points out<\/a><\/strong> that the laws have been around for centuries \u2013 England enacted the law that inspired them in 1601 \u2013 and only a few cases have made news in recent years.<\/p>\n

Those few cases bear watching, though, for two reasons. One, eldercare experts say they may mark a new willingness among nursing homes to use the laws to collect debts. Two, residents of South Dakota and Pennsylvania, where several cases have been filed in the past few years, need to pay close attention to how their state courts handle these lawsuits. In 2012, the son of a woman named Maryann Pittas lost a lawsuit brought by Pittas\u2019 former nursing home, which was owed close to $93,000 for her care. The state superior court ruled for the nursing home<\/a><\/strong> \u201cbased on the son\u2019s ability to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benefit programs and insurance can help<\/h2>\n

The best defense against finding yourself responsible for your parents\u2019 nursing home bills is also the best defense against financial woes for your parents as they age \u2013 good planning. In particular:<\/p>\n