Litigation is a frequent byproduct. About 1 in 7 adults who have had health care debt say they’ve been threatened with a lawsuit or arrest, according to aThe nursing home industry has quietly developed what consumer attorneys and patient advocates say is a pernicious strategy of pursuing family and friends of patients despite federal law that was enacted to protect them from debt collection.
“I get calls all the time from people who are served with these lawsuits who had no idea that this was even a remote possibility, who call me crying and frantic,” said Anna Anderson, an attorney at the nonprofit Legal Assistance of Western New York who has represented defendants in such suits, including Brooks.
Ahmad Keshavarz, an attorney who documented debt lawsuits around New York City, said nursing homes see adult children as more appealing targets than older residents. “Sons or daughters are more likely to have assets,” he said. “They have wages that can be garnished.” Many lawyers say making a family member financially liable is unfair. “If you bring your child to a doctor, you should pay for the child’s medical care. But if your adult child brings you to a nursing home and you’re 80, the law doesn’t bind you to pay those bills,” said Paul Aloi, a Rochester attorney who has represented all sides — patients, hospitals, and nursing homes — in debt collection cases.
Ferris, who was estranged from his mother, had no legal control over her finances. She had been managing her own affairs. Nevertheless, theFerris two years later for nearly $11,000. “It’s not right,” said Ferris, who is no longer speaking with his mother. Monroe County provided supporting records in only three of the 29 lawsuits it filed that included a fraudulent conveyance claim against a friend or relative of a resident. And Underberg & Kessler, a Rochester law firm that has represented the county and other nursing homes, attached documentation in only five of the 70 actions it filed with such claims. The firm has filed the most nursing home debt cases in Monroe County.
Unrelated but I had to laugh at your article regarding 'gun nuts' from 2013. The 2A says the right of 'the people' to bear arms shall not be infringed. It doesn't say the right of the government, military or militias. The SupremeCourt even agrees with that sentiment of the 2A.
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