I didn't want to complain, but finally had to. Just sent off an e-mail to the nursing home, disgusted, not with Mom's care, but with their billing.
When Mom was going to be admitted, I got a call at 7pm telling me I needed to give them a check for $22,000 before she would be admitted (one month in advance and $11,000 deposit to be returned) I did this in good faith.
It has been six weeks since Mom passed and no reimbursement of the $11,000, or reimbursement for the rest of the month after she passed which I pre-paid. I called 10 days ago and they left a message the check would be coming. Nada.
What is wrong with these people? Every single month I had to call them and ask for a bill because they never sent one. They also stopped breaking out the tax exemption and I had to request that for our tax return. Finally the last month she was there, the representative at the NH told me billing was making a mistake every month and applying the deposit as a monthly payment (by mistake) (of course billing was done from somewhere else)
Lets see how long it will take before someone gets back to me.
I bet the extra $1k could be for days not used during the month that your Mom had passed. The place where my Mom had stayed, they would charge for things a month in advance. So I got back a half a month rent plus misc items.
I made one more call and asked why, when they told me it would be 30 days, they were still holding it almost 60 days. She said it might be because the insurance hadn't paid all her medical bills yet. I said "WHAT?" What medical bills does the health insurance have to pay the nursing home? (I didn't quite understand her answer. It makes no sense to me, but at this point it doesn't matter.)
She called the home office and then called me back saying she had authorization to send me the check (the unpaid medical bills were only around $200) Mom had Tricare for Life and it paid just about everything. I never wrote a check for medical care for anything except a small co-pay on prescriptions directly to a pharmaceutical dispenser company.
Anyway, the check was for almost $1000 more than the deposit. I can't figure out why! It isn't surprising since the billing dept got just about every invoice wrong (or didn't send one because they kept applying the deposit to monthly payment and then had to reverse it out) I wasn't about to question how they calculated that check, but maybe some day I'll get another bill from them asking for it back.
Moral of the story to everyone paying loved ones bills - don't pay anything until you have checked it out and make sure it is correct - especially medical bills.
I am finally going to be able to finish settling Mom's estate but plan to keep the account open for a year with some money in it to cover taxes or whatever unexpected thing happens.
Interesting they have not responded to my e-mail either. I really don't need this. I've had all the financial responsibilities for 8 years and most of the rest, now executor. I don't mind getting it done as sis always please "I don't understand all that" but gees, I hate conflict and confrontation and don't want to get into it with the NH!
I still haven't fully checked to see if my Mom had to pay a security deposit, I scanned quickly the paperwork from the facility but didn't notice anything.... I will need to check my checkbook or credit card. The facility did rebate me a half of month's rent as my Mom passed on the 15th of that month.... that check came in 30 days.
You don't want to find out too late there is a lien on the funds, or that they remitted the funds to someone else. Go to the off premises billing/accounting dept. imo.
The place you're dealing with might be in breach of its contract if it made any similar commitments.
Banting about elected officials name or your relationship in a fit of pique is very, very not good. Calls or a nudge on your behalf would have already been done if you are connected. Someone will just know you are the Congressmans niece...it's the American way!
I'd suggest you send by certified mail with the return registered receipt (green post card) to the NH and if it's a chain to the corporate office a 1page letter requesting a refund of the 11k paid on 576767 by check # 5655656 and cashed on 55689. And state that you expect a response to this request within 7 -10 business days. The duo sent from uspo will run about $ 8.00. If you want to be real OCD, you also fax from FedEx office or other fax place that provides a printed transmission report. These are legal proof that it was received. You need to start doing things to establish a legal paper trail for a lawsuit or civil action against the NH if it comes to that.
Also please review the admissions agreement. If it has an arbitration clause, it may need to be settled by binding arbitration. Alot of attys do not do arbitration work....regular litigation yes but arbitration not so much. You do have a copy of all pages of admissions paperwork, right?
Contact your local "area agency on aging" which you can google along with your state, county and city. Also look for a nursing home Ombudsman, who could advise you. Good luck!