Question regarding SS, Nursing facility billing and death of patient.

Like you I paid Moms NH from her checking account monthly. I know everyone’s timing is a little different, but maybe this will answer your question. I would get her bill for the current month from the NH on the 1st of the month, and her pension and SS were deposited on the 2nd of the Month, and I promptly paid the bill to get it there before the due date of the 10th. Worked like clockwork. Mom passed away on April 15. The NH had been paid for the month, didn’t refund any money, and SS didn't take back any money nor send a May check.
I chose to handle the bills myself like you’re doing, after a friend and her Mom ended up is a big mess. They allowed SS check to go right to the NH (payee) and stayed pretty oblivious about the accounting. Until SS somehow thought the Mom has passed and stopped sending the check to the NH. For 2 years. The NH changed hands and stuff fell through the cracks, until they told her one day the Mom was being evicted. It took her months to get it sorted out. I guess I liked being able to see the money coming in and write the check cause I’m kind of Type 1 personality.

When you say you "signed the admission papers" did you sign as the "responsible party"? Or did you sign as your father's POA?

The fact that DAD has no assets is not what matters. What matters is that if you sign as being responsible YOU can be billed.

Do you have copies of what you signed?

Mstrbill, I would make the nursing home the rep payee for dad's ss ss check and let them figure it out as JoAnn says.

I had the NH as payee for Moms SS and small pension. That way, when Mom passed if there were any problems, they had to deal with it.

The family is not responsible for the patient's bills unless they have signed paperwork that they WILL be responsible for their bills. It would be between the nursing home and the government who does or doesn't get paid. However, there may be rules that you signed on for when the person entered the home. For instance, if the person's belongings are there, and say some furniture then it is up to the family to retrieve these things, and I have known facilities to bill families until they are removed. I have the feeling, if the family relinquishes any belongings, or refuses to come, most places will just dump them. They occasionally then send a bill for the dumping of the things. The truth is, it is all up to each facility how this all goes, and often when someone goes into care there is a family member there, and you walk out with a stack of papers explaining what will happen. It is a good question to ask administration or billing where your elder is. Always good to think ahead and be in the know. There is really very little way to make a person responsible for the bills of another person unless a married couples who finances are intermingled.