State Laws Vary When It Comes to Making You Pay Parent’s Nursing-Home Bill
Remember the man who has to pay his mother’s $93,000 nursing-home bill? A Pennsylvania court found that he could be held responsible thanks to what’s called a filial-support law.
We mentioned that, though this type of enforcement is very rare, according to Lawyers.com, 29 states do have filial-support laws. Now, The Wall Street Journal has published a list of the states, along with brief descriptions of what the laws entail.
Many of the laws require children to support poor parents–and parents to support poor children. But not all. Here are a few examples of alternate requirements, as laid out by The Wall Street Journal:
- Connecticut: “Crime, for refusing reasonable necessary support to parent under age 65.”
- Nevada: “Child’s duty to reimburse for county hospitalization of indigent parents, where child promised to support parent in writing.”
- Arkansas: ”Duty limited to mental health services.”
In states that require broader support, some extend the responsibilities to extended family as well.
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Leigh Ann Otte is a freelance writer who specializes in health and aging issues. She covers finding and paying for senior care for OurParents. If you have any questions about this post or need help finding senior-care options for a loved one, call 1-866-483-4896 to speak with a care advisor in your area.
