Ma has dementia and signed herself into rehab after a hospital stay.

Sorry - to clarify mom has been declared incompetent by several dr's & her lawyer & she can no longer write - she wanted to visit her bank to take out money however her visit took 4 hours to set by me - it made her happy - we took pix so when she wants to go again I show her the pix & say we've been there - in fact the young lady was so great with mom I sent her a thank you note & told her supervisor how fantastic the visit went

No, Moe. One of my daughters has been granted Power of Attorney status for me. That means that in my absence, if I so direct her to, she can sign documents for me. It does not mean i can no longer sign for myself.

There may be other types of PoAs-- the kind that get activated when two doctors declare that the grantor can no longer conduct business for themselves, but that is not what a regular poa is.

Thanx for clarification - here it has different title so got mixed up

But doesn't anyone who has a P.O.A. enacted then be unable to sign any legal document? -

When I too mom to bank I 'primed' the bank what was most likely to happen so when mom tried to sign something & her writing was sooooo bad that it couldn't be readable the bank official stepped in saying 'you don't have to try again because a family member is here & she can witness your signature' but it was actually my signature that made it legal but mom had the feeling she was doing it on her own ... we all do things like this for our loved ones

To the young, and those that are not caregivers, there is only one sort of rehab. Caring for an elder teaches plenty!

Moe, we are talking about the sort of physical rehabilitation facility that elderly patients often get admitted to after a hospitalization.

When you're young, if you spend a couple of days in bed due to an illness or surgery, you get up and go back to your life. As you age, you spend a couple of days inactive and you can no longer walk! Physical therapy helps you get back your muscle mass and your " sea legs".

I don't understand ... why was she sent to rehab? - was she an alcoholic or on drugs or was this the hospital trying to download a problem?

It also sounds like Humana is her Medicare Supplemental and they should be covering the 20% that Medicare generally doesn't cover. Yes, Medicare requires 3 midnights in a hospital (acute care) and then you can move to rehab. But, if I recall the 21 days INCLUDES the number of days in hospital. Ask to be sure. And, if Humana is a supplement check to see if they cover more days. My Mom had 100 days of rehab covered with Medicare and other insurance. It is confusing. Go to Medicare.gov for help or look for her Medicare and You booklet if you can find where she put it. But, the web site is good. And, as said by others, the facilities usually check the coverage out thoroughly before letting a person move to another facility. Best advice, ASK, ASK ASK. You are on the right track. Hang in there. Blessings and Peace

Making you POA does not make you responsible for debts.
She will be responsible, Medicare will pick up Rehab for a specific period of time.
If funds are a problem you might want to start the Medicaid Application process. You might want to ask the Social Worker at the Rehab facility if they can help you with that process.
Where will she be going after discharge from Rehab? Home? Your house? Assisted Living? Memory Care? Get this lined up as soon as possible.

You should discuss with her doctor if she is competent, and if the doctor does agree, then you should see an elder law attorney.

Nina, you should NOT have to pay her bills. Humana should be helping you sort this out.

So, in general, Medicare pays for 21 days of rehab after a 3 day hospitalization, if scripted by doc.

For sure! Get in touch with hospital, insurance and rehab and get answers.

Gosh, I appreciate all of the feedback! I've honestly been so overwhelmed and confused by this, I don't remember MA's insurance company giving any reason for not paying!?! Yes, I've been making small monthly payments, but now I'm going to give Humana a call tomorrow & get the details! She was definitely in-patient at hospital for about 8 days after she fell, broke 3 ribs & had a punctured lung which required a chest tube. I was on a cruise & had a neighbor taking care of my Ma. The hosp discharge planner set up the rehab stay. Thanks ya'll! After repeating all of this, it just certainly makes no sense for us to have to pay out of pocket!

Make sure she was admitted to the hospital as an inpatient. Many people have been tripped up because they were admitted for observation.

So, the real question here is, who arranged the discharge to rehab? Was it done through the hospital discharge planning office? In general, the won't send patients to a rehab if they know insurance won't cover, and rehab won't accept the transfer of the patient unless theyve9checked that insurance will cover, or a family member has guaranteed payment.

You've got some research and phone calling to do. No payment obligation from YOUR funds unless you signed as responsible party.

My motherr, with dementia, signs almost all of her paperwork. She hasn't been declared incompetent. My brother, as poa, only signs if she is unconscious.

Whatever you do, do not sign any sort of papers with your name without adding "as POA for Jane Smith"! You are not personally responsible for her bills onky trying to find out why they aren't paid. Was the hospitalization recent? Processing payment through the insurance company sometimes takes up to a couple of months. You will receive a bill showing what is owed with a notation on it of "insurance pending"

I would appeal the decision. What did they give as a reason?

Yes, she had more than a 3-day Hosp stay. Humana Gold Plus didn't pay a dime for the stay. I don't understand how she could've signed herself in to begin with!?

Being PoA doesnt make you personally responsible for someone else's bills.

Did mom go to rehab after a 3 day qualifying hospital stay? Did a doctor write a script for rehab? More that likely, Medicare will cover the first 21 days.