Very important- uninsured, unemployed wife goes to emergency room. Is husband responsible?
January 10th, 2011 | 
Author: Question by Miriam: Very important- uninsured, unemployed wife goes to emergency room. Is husband responsible?
This is kind of long and complicated. My boyfriends mother is a resident of the U.S in Florida. She doesn’t have health insurance and she is unemployed (she works from home babysitting for money to support home, but not ‘employment’). Her husband is employed and insured. He chooses not to put her under his insurance because he cannot ‘afford’ it, but she does not qualify for any kind of aid because she is married to someone who should be able to put her under his plan. Which is true, but this guy is so greedy and selfish and its very long and complicated… She has developed a growth on her back that we are very concerned about but cannot afford to take her to a specialist i.e. she is not insured. My own mother suggested we take her to the emergency room at a local city hospital because they won’t refuse care. If we do this, will her husband be responsible for the medical bills that will inevitably be accrued? I hope this is the case. He can either bear the brunt of the medical bills and have his credit ruined or go ahead and put her in his plan. Unfortunately, even if he decides to put her on his insurance plan, this cannot wait til January or whenever it will go into effect.
OK, so bottom line question is: In Florida, if an uninsured, unemployed spouse goes to the emergency room, will the insured/employed spouse be responsible for the medical bills?
I hope so :/
Best answer:
Answer by Nicole
No. She’ll get billed… And get sent to collections if she doesn’t pay it.
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I certainly hope so. He made a bad decision and should be forced to live with the consequences. Why should his neighbors pay for something simply because he didn’t want to pay himself.
The hospital emergency room only has to treat emergency cases. If you have a broken leg, ruptured spleen or are having a heart attack then the hospital has to treat you. A suspicious growth is not an emergency situation and you will not be admitted to the hospital. They’ll look at it, tell you to go to a dermatologist and send you on your way.
The husband is a horrible, horrible person if he won’t pay for his wife’s healthcare. Of course he’s responsible to pay for it because it’s his wife, for the love of God. Are they separated or something that this is even an issue?
You’d have to ask a Florida attorney. But if it’s a community property state, her debts are his debts.
They will bill her. If she doesn’t pay. She may get sued. If the creditor wins a judgment against her,he could put liens on her and her husband’s common assets and seize any joint bank accounts.
Even if the live separately he shares responsibility for the debt. The collectors will come after him. Spousal support is a basic tenant of marriage. Divorce stops further obligation.
“61.10. Adjudication of obligation to support spouse or minor child unconnected with dissolution; parenting plan
Except when relief is afforded by some other pending civil action or proceeding, a spouse residing in this state apart from his or her spouse and minor child, whether or not such separation is through his or her fault, may obtain an adjudication of obligation to maintain the spouse and minor child, if any. The court shall adjudicate his or her financial obligations to the spouse and child and shall establish the parenting plan for the parties. Such an action does not preclude either party from maintaining any other proceeding under this chapter for other or additional relief at any time.”
“Rights and Obligations Within Marriage
Years ago, marriage was considered to create one legal entity controlled entirely by the husband. Florida, however, has followed the national trend in eliminating legal impediments once imposed upon married women. Today, each spouse has the right to own and control real and personal property, and to sue and be sued in his or her own name.
In terms of obligations, both spouses have a duty to support one another financially and provide necessities such as food, water, shelter, and clothing. Spouses who are parents have a similar duty toward their minor children. Parents are also required to provide their minor children with an education and can be held liable for any willful or malicious destruction or theft of property caused by their minor children.”
on most hospital forms they ask for insurance and/ or who is responsible for payment she is an unemployed married woman . have her put down her husband . he is responsible for her bills just as she is responsible for his . that is marriage . i live in california but can’t believe that florida would be any different . i would suggest that she starts out with a family doctor or clinic – use the money from her babysitting to pay the bill. that would be a lot cheaper and also tell her what the problem is . let her husband worry [and pay for ] what ever didn’t get paid at home because she had to use the money to see a doctor .