Are you responsible to pay deceased hospital bill Colorado?

Colorado

- Responsible: Yes

- Timeframe: Within ten days of receiving the bill

- Amount: Up to the value of the assets in the estate

Colorado law requires that the personal representative of a deceased person's estate pay any outstanding hospital bills within ten days of receiving the bill. The amount that must be paid is limited to the value of the assets in the estate.

If the estate does not have enough assets to pay the hospital bills, the hospital can file a claim with the probate court. The court will then determine whether or not the estate is liable for the bills.

Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the general rule that the estate is responsible for paying hospital bills. These exceptions include:

- Government-funded programs: If the deceased person was receiving benefits from a government-funded program, such as Medicare or Medicaid, the program may be responsible for paying the hospital bills.

- Insurance policies: If the deceased person had health insurance, the insurance policy may cover the hospital bills.

- Workers' compensation: If the deceased person was injured or killed on the job, the workers' compensation program may be responsible for paying the hospital bills.

Tips for paying hospital bills

If you are the personal representative of a deceased person's estate, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to pay hospital bills:

- Contact the hospital as soon as possible: If you know that the deceased person had any outstanding hospital bills, contact the hospital as soon as possible. This will give you time to gather the necessary information and to make arrangements for payment.

- Ask for an itemized bill: Ask the hospital for an itemized bill that shows the charges for each service that was provided. This will help you to verify that the bills are accurate and to identify any potential overcharges.

- Negotiate the bills: If you feel that the hospital bills are too high, you can try to negotiate with the hospital. You may be able to get the bills reduced or waived if you can show that the deceased person was uninsured or had a limited income.

- Set up a payment plan: If you cannot pay the hospital bills in full, you can ask the hospital to set up a payment plan. This will allow you to make monthly payments over a period of time.