My pop at 1 yr
Me neither, until I found out recently that there are 30 States in the U.S. that have similar laws on the books to this day.
The jist of the law in various states states that the Adult Child(ren) of Elderly Parents is responsible for their parents food, clothing, shelter, and Medical Attention. The adult child can be sued in court for fees and expenses for their elderly parents if they become indigent (broke, poor, run out of money) or die with outstanding bills for their care.
So, we can be held responsible for our parents debts.
With Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security you would think this wouldn’t be a problem, but we all know the Government has borrowed against, reallocated and otherwise shrunk most of our “entitlements” and benefits in recent years.
Though these Filial Responsibility statutes haven’t been enforced since Medicaid was enacted in 1965, they have been found to be Constitutional when challenged in court.
With the economy the way it is and the Government bailing out Banks, Investment firms and Car companies, where does the money come from for elderly care when the funds dry up?
No, not the Government, it will probably come from US or our Kids for Our care when we can’t fend for ourselves any longer.
What are your thoughts?
Sources:
States with Filial Responsibility Laws (PDF)
