Knoxville, TN asked in Family Law for Tennessee

Q: Im a stepparent to a minor and carry her on my policy am I financially responsible for any medical bills in state of TN

My wife her mother received a bill with her name later went to collection and now the bill has my name and reported to my credit

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1 Lawyer Answer
Leonard Robert Grefseng
Leonard Robert Grefseng
Answered
  • Columbia, TN
  • Licensed in Tennessee

A: No, you have no legal obligation to support or provide medical care for any child that is not your biological or legally adopted child. This is not what the collection people will tell you, in fact, I expect they will tell you just the opposite. The fact that you choose to,or are able to provide medical insurance is voluntary ( I assume the extra coverage is not free- you have to pay for it) is of no consequence. However, sometimes in the "fine print" on hospital admission forms or intake forms, they ask you to sign a "consent" form which is actually a form that says you agree to be the "responsible party" for the bills ( especially on minors). Carefully check with the provider for any such documents. If there are none, I would contact the collection agency and tell them unless they can provide proof of some agreement signed by you, that this is not your bill and they have violated federal law by demanding you pay it. You can also report directly to the credit bureau that the bill is an error.

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