Dealing with the aftermath of a death [View all]
I am making my way through dealing with the medical bills and other issues associated with my wifes death in February. No one tells you what to do or how to do it, so I thought it might be a good idea to address these issues.
As for the medical bills, the advice I got from friends was to wait until they all came in before paying them. One does not know which bills they are to pay or the insurance company is to pay. I found the advice of waiting to be good. It is now two months since she died, and most bills are in. I am now getting statements from the insurance company showing which bills they paid and which ones I am liable for. It has become a lot clearer now how the system works. So, If you are confused, as most are I would assume, just wait.
Since my wife had a rather large estate, the probate process for her will will take up to six months. However, the judge will issue a ruling on executorship usually within six weeks or so of the filing date. I cannot access funds in her estate (well, I can but my lawyer told me not to) until the judge makes his ruling. Once an executor is established (which will be me) I can then pay all the bills in full.
In the mean time, I have contacted all creditors and told them of the situation. All have been very cooperative and understanding of my situation and have agreed not to send the bills to a third party collection agency. I suggest you call, as I did, to apprise them if you face a similar situation.
Also, if the deceased had memberships in anything, I suggest you call and inform them of the death and ask them to close the account and take your name off their mailing list. This may take a year, as some organizations only send mailers once a year.
Check the computer. My wife had several on-line accounts that were being drafted or put on credit cards monthly. You might not even be aware the deceased had the accounts. I have been paying for an Ebay store that I did not know she still had.
Check credit card statements to see what charges are being made monthly. You may find there are services you did not know about or wasn't aware of at all that you are still being charged for but not using.
While I'm at it, I want to address the issue of caskets. What a scam! Funeral homes will charge you thousands of dollars more for a casket than a casket store will. The funeral home I contacted wanted almost $4000 for a particular casket. I went to a casket store in Dallas and bought the same exact one for $995. (be aware of the shipping costs if you have to have it shipped. They can be quite expensive, so if you can arrange to pick it up, do so yourself)
These are some of the issues I have dealt with.....so far. If you can add to the list, please do. It's hard enough to deal with the death of a loved one, but you will find yourself under time constraints to get the funeral planned and there are vultures out there who will pray on your emotion and take you for every dime they can. It's what they do! I suggest you contact someone who is familiar with planning a funeral to go with you or help with the planning. Also, shop around. Not all funeral homes bilk you as bad as some others. You can save thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses by avoiding the vultures.
You might not think this deals with grieving, but rest assured, you will be grieving more if you do not address these issues promptly.
Uben
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