If you are receiving Medicare, or know someone who is you may have many questions about the complex system that it is. One major question is will Medicare pay for medical bills after someone dies? The answer is complicated and could depend on many different factors. Spouses are especially worried about this since they may find themselves in debt because of the health care their loved one needed. Being prepared and knowing what your rights are is important for your personal financial security.
The system is weird in that they only pay at the end of the month for things that were done during that month. If a person dies early in a month the Medicare policy could be terminated at that point. That creates the problem of who will have to pay for the services provided during part of that month. Many times Medicare won’t pay for medical bills after someone dies which means the health care facilities may come looking for someone to pay. Fortunately, there are many rules and regulations that can save a spouse from being indebted in these types of situations.
In some cases you can get Medicare to pay for these expenses if they are required to by law. The problem is that system is always overwhelmed and not everybody gets the coverage they deserve. If you can, contact your local office and plead your case. Even if Medicare won’t pay for medical bills after someone dies immediately, you can appeal the case. Don’t let the system take advantage of you and your personal finances. Spouses have rights, even when their partner passes on.