What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania
In the last two years I have lost my mom, brother and father to various stages of cancer. My mom died July 17, 2003, my brother May 10th, 2004 and my father, March 7, 2005. During the courses of their health crisis, I was the caregiver to my mom and father and assisted when possible for my brother. I was the sole caregiver for my mom who only lasted, less than a month after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Having been a certified nurse assistant and the only sibling that would or could take care of her immediate needs, I quit my job in Florida, to take care of her. Upon the death of my mother, my brother who we thought was going to win the battle of cancer came out of remission and though he faught hard, he lost and died on May 10, 2004. While he was fighting cancer, my father's health started to decline and though, at the time he was not dying his motor skills and overall health was on the the decline and he needed someone there to take care of him. Since no one else in the family, including brothers and wifes enlisted to help, I had no real choice but to take care of his immediate needs. I did manage to get my father back on his feet again, I did have to set up homemaking services for him and enlisted the help of various agencies for the elderly. Upon the death of my brother, I decided it was time for me to go home and be with my life partner, in Michigan. I left with no regrets as I felt I had done whatever needed to be done.
In Novemember of 2004, I received a phone call that my father's overall health was again on the decline and he refused to go into a nursing home as he wanted to live his remaining days in his own home as did my mom and brother. I went back to Philadelphia in November to see if I could get him back on track healthwise but it was not to be. He couldnt wash himself, and his kidneys had failed so he was on dialysis, three days per week. I did not want to be there but again, the family looked the other way and be the truth be known, I too wanted to get back in my car and go back to Michigan but that wasnt what I knew my mom or brother would want me to do.
As cold as it may seem, I want to bill the estate for my services. I want to be paid the fair rate for home health services, which includes daily living and personal care. I want to bill for service rendered to my mom and father. Being both a certified nurse assistant and now a certified medical billing specialist, I know what the fair price is according to Medicare and what they would allow for such services. As a private homehealth aide, i could command up to 12.00 per hour based on 24 hr care would command $288.00 per day but know also, that medicare would only allow $150.00 per day per 24 hour care. Thus, I would only charge the estate the medicare allowed rate times the actual number of days I cared for both of them.
Because my family, immediate family of brothers and their wifes and children would or could not care for my parents and they all live here in Philly and I had to come home, quit my job and take odd jobs to work around a schedule to take care of my father, plus go to school on weekends, I feel that my services should not be overlooked as the "duty of a son" and that my expertise at insuring a quality life, well as best as I could provide, should in fact be compensated over and beyond my inheritance.
I live in Michigan but have been here since November. I have not been able to financially go home even for a weekend as my duties here never seem to end. I sold my parents home and the house will settle come this Friday on May 20th, 2005. Since no one once again, had any time to help me clear and clean the house out of all the old furnishing and endless memories of past gone by, I had to do it myself. There is no money to pay a mover so I had to donate most of the stuff to thrift stores. The family, took whatever they wanted months ago and the rest was up to me to take care of. Why me? The house is free of all furnishings and is ready to be taken over my the new owners. My life here is over but i can't leave until the estate is settled and by the newest wave of family feuding, it saddens me even more.
Question 1) can I legally bill the estate for healthcare services?
Question 2) since i am the only family member that does not live here and have no place to go but home in Michigan, can I legally request an estimate of my share of the inheritance and get it now instead of waiting four or six months? I have to live with an old neighbor as no one in my family, has any room for me or my personal belongings. I can't get a job here as my belongings will be in storage and I just can't live out of a paper bag.
My father's bill have been paid and the only bills outstanding would be the co insurances if any left from medical doctors who saw him while he was in the hospital and as a billing specialist who also handle his insurance bills, there is no real need to keep more than five thousand dollars in his estate account, if that. Since the estate will be divided into four equal parts, I know that my share would still keep an overage of monies in the account. I am the only person who does not live here, does not work here and has no personal life here so to speak. I want to go home, I want to stop hurting, crying and want to soar again, become something again, smile again and most important, be with the one person who truly cares about me.
Does anyone have any answers for me?
Thanks,
Terence
[email protected]
In the last two years I have lost my mom, brother and father to various stages of cancer. My mom died July 17, 2003, my brother May 10th, 2004 and my father, March 7, 2005. During the courses of their health crisis, I was the caregiver to my mom and father and assisted when possible for my brother. I was the sole caregiver for my mom who only lasted, less than a month after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Having been a certified nurse assistant and the only sibling that would or could take care of her immediate needs, I quit my job in Florida, to take care of her. Upon the death of my mother, my brother who we thought was going to win the battle of cancer came out of remission and though he faught hard, he lost and died on May 10, 2004. While he was fighting cancer, my father's health started to decline and though, at the time he was not dying his motor skills and overall health was on the the decline and he needed someone there to take care of him. Since no one else in the family, including brothers and wifes enlisted to help, I had no real choice but to take care of his immediate needs. I did manage to get my father back on his feet again, I did have to set up homemaking services for him and enlisted the help of various agencies for the elderly. Upon the death of my brother, I decided it was time for me to go home and be with my life partner, in Michigan. I left with no regrets as I felt I had done whatever needed to be done.
In Novemember of 2004, I received a phone call that my father's overall health was again on the decline and he refused to go into a nursing home as he wanted to live his remaining days in his own home as did my mom and brother. I went back to Philadelphia in November to see if I could get him back on track healthwise but it was not to be. He couldnt wash himself, and his kidneys had failed so he was on dialysis, three days per week. I did not want to be there but again, the family looked the other way and be the truth be known, I too wanted to get back in my car and go back to Michigan but that wasnt what I knew my mom or brother would want me to do.
As cold as it may seem, I want to bill the estate for my services. I want to be paid the fair rate for home health services, which includes daily living and personal care. I want to bill for service rendered to my mom and father. Being both a certified nurse assistant and now a certified medical billing specialist, I know what the fair price is according to Medicare and what they would allow for such services. As a private homehealth aide, i could command up to 12.00 per hour based on 24 hr care would command $288.00 per day but know also, that medicare would only allow $150.00 per day per 24 hour care. Thus, I would only charge the estate the medicare allowed rate times the actual number of days I cared for both of them.
Because my family, immediate family of brothers and their wifes and children would or could not care for my parents and they all live here in Philly and I had to come home, quit my job and take odd jobs to work around a schedule to take care of my father, plus go to school on weekends, I feel that my services should not be overlooked as the "duty of a son" and that my expertise at insuring a quality life, well as best as I could provide, should in fact be compensated over and beyond my inheritance.
I live in Michigan but have been here since November. I have not been able to financially go home even for a weekend as my duties here never seem to end. I sold my parents home and the house will settle come this Friday on May 20th, 2005. Since no one once again, had any time to help me clear and clean the house out of all the old furnishing and endless memories of past gone by, I had to do it myself. There is no money to pay a mover so I had to donate most of the stuff to thrift stores. The family, took whatever they wanted months ago and the rest was up to me to take care of. Why me? The house is free of all furnishings and is ready to be taken over my the new owners. My life here is over but i can't leave until the estate is settled and by the newest wave of family feuding, it saddens me even more.
Question 1) can I legally bill the estate for healthcare services?
Question 2) since i am the only family member that does not live here and have no place to go but home in Michigan, can I legally request an estimate of my share of the inheritance and get it now instead of waiting four or six months? I have to live with an old neighbor as no one in my family, has any room for me or my personal belongings. I can't get a job here as my belongings will be in storage and I just can't live out of a paper bag.
My father's bill have been paid and the only bills outstanding would be the co insurances if any left from medical doctors who saw him while he was in the hospital and as a billing specialist who also handle his insurance bills, there is no real need to keep more than five thousand dollars in his estate account, if that. Since the estate will be divided into four equal parts, I know that my share would still keep an overage of monies in the account. I am the only person who does not live here, does not work here and has no personal life here so to speak. I want to go home, I want to stop hurting, crying and want to soar again, become something again, smile again and most important, be with the one person who truly cares about me.
Does anyone have any answers for me?
Thanks,
Terence
[email protected]