What Happens to Medical Debt When You Die?
Your medical bills don't go away when you die, but that doesn't mean your survivors have to pay them.
Instead, medical debt — like all debt remaining after you die — is paid by your estate.
The estate is just a fancy way to say the total of all the assets you owned at death. When you die, the money in your estate will be used to cover your outstanding debts. If you had a will and named an executor, that person uses the money from your estate to pay your outstanding debts. If you don't have a will, a judge will select an administrator to carry out the judge's decisions about how to distribute your estate.
Who is responsible for someone's medical debt when they die?