Medical debts of deceased spouse

Hi Anna

I am sorry to hear about the loss. Do you have any source of income by which you can pay the bills? Calculate your total expenses and see how much you will be able to afford each month. Then, you can write a proposal letter to the CA. Before you send money, get the debt validated to confirm your account is with them. There are many companies who try to scam people with disputed account information. Go through the federal laws and get educated of your rights in dealing with the collectors.

First - did you sign anything at the hospital that said that you would be responsible for your husbands' bills? If so contact the ambudsman at the hospital - I know that there is a law that states people with little or no resources pay on a graduated scale. Then find out how much your insurance paid. Also ask the hospital and the doctors for a full statement - sometimes there are errors in billing. I know that some hospitals jump a bill into collecton even before contacting the patient.

When my father died, we received a bill for about $25,000 from the hospital he was at. My sister called the finance department at the hospital and explained that our mother was on a fixed income and could not afford to pay the bill. They told her to fill out the back of the bill where it says if you're unable to pay the bill .... They contacted her a few weeks after sending the bill back to them, stating that they wrote the bill off. You might want to contact the hospital and see if they can do that for you.