Watch: How Nursing Homes Put Friends and Families on the Hook for Residents’ Debts

Barbara Robinson was simply making an attempt to assist her mom’s buddy join Medicaid and transfer into the Monroe County nursing house in Rochester, New York. However as a result of Robinson signed the admissions type, the nursing house thought of her financially chargeable for the girl’s care, Anna Werner reported for CBS Information. After the girl died, the county sued Robinson for $21,000 in unpaid payments.

This report was accomplished in partnership with a KHN-NPR investigation of America’s medical debt disaster. Noam N. Levey, KHN senior correspondent, wrote about Lucille Brooks, one other lady sued by Monroe County, this time over her brother’s nursing house invoice.

Pursuing unpaid payments, nursing houses throughout Rochester have been routinely suing not solely residents however their mates and households, a KHN evaluation of court docket information reveals. In most of these circumstances, the individuals sued didn’t have an legal professional. In almost a 3rd, the nursing houses received default judgments as a result of the defendants by no means responded.

Shopper attorneys in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio instructed KHN they commonly see such lawsuits towards household and mates.

Choose Debra Martin dismissed the case towards Robinson. She admonished the county, saying its case, introduced with out documentation, “doesn’t meet the naked minimal necessities.”

Brooks is now within the clear, too, after the county dropped its case towards her.

KHN (Kaiser Well being Information) is a nationwide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being points. Along with Coverage Evaluation and Polling, KHN is likely one of the three main working applications at KFF (Kaiser Household Basis). KFF is an endowed nonprofit group offering data on well being points to the nation.

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