“Nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are prohibited from forcing a resident’s family or friends to assume responsibility for the cost of care as a condition of admission or continued stay in the facility,” Rohit Chopra, CFPB Director, said in a press release. “

Under laws in place, family members and friends signing admission agreements with nursing homes cannot be held liable for unpaid debts associated with the patient’s stay.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), families have been sued by nursing home debt collectors, had their wages garnished, lost their homes, and some have been forced into bankruptcy (Sept. 8).

The Nursing Home Reform Act specifically prohibits a nursing care facility from requiring a third-party caregiver to personally guarantee payment of a resident’s bills.

Some facilities require caregivers to be responsible for the resident’s care costs in their contracts. According to the report, caregivers are sometimes subject to financial liability if they incur debts while caring for the patient.

Consumers can submit complaints about their debt collection issues by visiting the Consumer Financial Protection