My mother broke her hip earlier this year. From the hospital she was taken to a skilled nursing facility for rehab.
I gave the admissions person both her insurances. Medicare primary and a secondary from her late husband’s pension fund.
At two different meetings, plus in an email, I was told both would cover her for 90 days,so she stayed 90 days.
A few weeks after she camehome they billed me for 7k! It turns out they were wrong about the secondary insurance!
Yes I did sign something about being responsible for her medical decisions but notfinancial?
Anyway I read in Medicare pamphlet that if Medicaredoes not pay past 20 days,they have to tell me what she is responsible for.
Is this true? Should I call an elder care attorney? Mom doesn’t have 7k nor do I!!!
I appreciate any insight you can give me!
My uncles insurance did not pay until the nursing home billed them after Medicare was final paid. As POA, I had to pay the $203 per day for days 21- 100 from his personal checking accoumt.. His PT ended on June 30 2024. After the facility billed Medicare, they billed his insurance and his insurance paid the entire 80 days at the end of August. The facility then applied that payment to his account and credited the previous payments that was from his personal payment.
I truly hope that's the case with your mother. Wishing you the best.
Medicare determines the length of time someone stays in Rehab, not Rehab.
Please, come back and tell us what happens.
Re-read everything that you signed to be certain you did not sign as the responsible party.
Did you get IN WRITING that the insurance was contacted and pre-approved this care?
We can't know how you signed or as what. But this is your MOTHERS bill. If you are her POA you are responsible for paying her bills as her POA. This seems like something that you need to followup with with the office, the assurance you had of approval, and the insurance as well as looking at how you signed and for what. You may need to bring in an elder law attorney on this one, but there goes easily another 1K.
Have you actually spoken to a customer service rep at the pension's insurance fund to confirm any of this? Stop relying on second-hand information -- as you can see it isn't reliable. Get a copy of the policy provided by the pension fund and review it (an attorney would need this document anyway).
I'm guessing there may be exemptions to that rule, so I would look into that.
Since you have an email though verifying what they told you, you can always appeal it with both insurance companies and see what happens.
The rehab facility cannot come after you(though they may try)if you did not sign financial responsibility, so be careful when signing anything for your mom.
If you are her POA, then you should sign your name as is and then sign POA for and your moms name. That way only your mom will be held responsible.
I personally would try fighting this issue with both insurance companies before hiring a lawyer.