I've been in this situation myself. Mom's bills are not yours unless you are a co-signer on the credit card (in other words, it has to be a joint account). If that's the case, then yes, you'll have to pay them, but I'm sure some arrangement could be worked out with the company that won't break you financially, and then you can close the account to avoid problems in the future.
If you are not a co-signer on a joint account, you are not responsible for anything more than letting the company know that Mom has entered a nursing home facility on Medicaid and there is no money to pay the bill. They will most likely write it off. Occasionally, you may run into an unscrupulous company that will attempt to convince you to pay the bill yourself - but again, if it's not your bill, you are not responsible. Stick to your guns and keep repeating the same thing to them - not your bill, not your responsibility, Mom has no money and is on Medicaid in a nursing home. Even if they send it to collections, you have to keep in mind that your Mom will have no further use for her credit - so a negative mark on her credit will not hurt her.
Sadly, I think you need to notify the creditors of your mother's status and then ignore them. They are not your responsibility. (Don't give them your mother's NH address.)
From what I know, those receiving LTC payments by Medicaid, only get a small allowance each month. Usually less than $70.00. That has to cover all of the recipients's expenses, so there's no much to pay back to credit card companies. I'd consult with a credit counselor to see your options. Are you the POA? I'm not sure what those creditors could really do, even if they sued for the debt. Is she judgment proof? That's likely, if she qualified for Medicaid.
Well, she's on Medicaid, so all of her income goes to her care, right? You are not responsible for her debt unless you are on it, too, or if you used it to buy things for yourself and they'd have to prove that. Just tell them she's on Medicaid. She's judgment proof because she's broke and the credit cards or any other debt is not your problem.
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If you are not a co-signer on a joint account, you are not responsible for anything more than letting the company know that Mom has entered a nursing home facility on Medicaid and there is no money to pay the bill. They will most likely write it off. Occasionally, you may run into an unscrupulous company that will attempt to convince you to pay the bill yourself - but again, if it's not your bill, you are not responsible. Stick to your guns and keep repeating the same thing to them - not your bill, not your responsibility, Mom has no money and is on Medicaid in a nursing home. Even if they send it to collections, you have to keep in mind that your Mom will have no further use for her credit - so a negative mark on her credit will not hurt her.
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