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Fatwa CenterWants to evade paying the hospital bills of his mother who has no health insurance
Question
Dear Brother-in-Islam Assalam Alaikum! My question is very subjective so you need to understand the whole situation. My mother came in US about 9 years ago on visit visa and stayed with us since then. She was nearly 56 years old, didn’t have any asset/income and had some chronic diseases like diabetics, arthritics, etc. We (myself and my other siblings) tried to get her health insurance but couldn’t due to her immigration status. She got her Green card in 2008 when she was about 65 years old. She got diagnosed with another fatal disease lately and we cannot get her medical insurance at any rate/cost due to so many present diseases. She’s not eligible for Medicaid being non US Citizen. Her two children (son and daughter) do work (both make money in 6 digits) in US and contribute in the social security as well Medicaid. We normally pay her doctors/medical tests bills but we are wondering if any point of time she gets hospitalized then we would incur expenses in 50-100 thousand of dollars. It would be hard for us to pay that high sum. You know the hospitals write-off those funds in taxes or get State/Federal aids for that. My question is: Will we/she be accountable for our non paid charges in the Day of judgment? Please shed some lights on it per our special condition. JAK…. Regards, Zubair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
If a Muslim enters a non-Muslim country with a visa, then this visa is like a contract by which it becomes incumbent upon him to respect the law that regulates that country; Allaah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts.}[Quran 5:1] This includes the contracts with Muslims and with non-Muslims as Allaah Says (what means): {So complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allaah loves the righteous [who fear Him]}[Quran 9:4]
If you fear Allaah, Allaah might facilitate a cure to your mother without her being admitted to hospital; Allaah Says (what means): {And whoever fears Allaah - He Will Make for him a way out.}[Quran 65:2-3]
However, if we presume that she enters the hospital and you have to pay the treatment bills, then it is not permissible for you to evade paying it.
In addition to this, doing that may cause some problems for you if this matter is disclosed and this may harm the reputation of the Muslims (in your country).
Allaah Knows best.
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