How long after someone's death will you be dealing with the financial aftermath? Let's imagine Janice, whose husband, Bill, died five years ago. She thought she had finally finished dealing with all the expensive logistics.
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Then, years later, another envelope arrived. Inside was a $5,300 hospital bill — for care Bill received before he died. Janice, 67, is already worried about whether she can afford to retire.
Her savings need to last, and her monthly income doesn't leave much room for a $5,300 surprise — especially one tied to a debt she thought had been dealt with years ago. Her first instinct might be to pay it just to make the problem disappear. But there's a bigger question she should answer first: does she actually owe it?
Janice's situation may sound extreme, but medical debt can follow people around for years. A 2022 KFF survey found that 22% of Americans ages 65 and older had some form of debt resulting from medical or dental bills — including bills for someone else. And among older adults with healthcare debt, 29% said a collection agency had contacted their household about bills.
So a widow receiving a medical bill isn't necessarily unusual. What matters is whose debt it is. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says surviving spouses are generally not responsible for a deceased spouse's debt.
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