St. Luke's Medical Center v. Rosengartner

UHLENHOPP, Justice.

The question in this appeal is whether a husband is liable to a hospital for his wife’s hospital expense incurred while the husband and wife were living apart by agreement.

Maurice and Theresa Rosengartner married in 1939, had four children, and lived together until 1964 when they separated by agreement. Theresa kept the children. Maurice lived in various places outside Iowa until 1967 when he became a resident of Sioux City. From 1964 until Theresa’s death, Maurice visited in her home about five times and only temporarily on those occasions. They never dissolved their…