House Bill 34: Prohibiting medical debt collection after three years was submitted by Delegate Nadarius Clark, D-Portsmouth. The bill would provide a “status of limitation” on debt for medical services.
The bill would prohibit the collection of medical debt if collection proceedings aren’t begun within three years of the due date noted on the final invoice for a health care service. The bill would not apply to patients who are on a payment plan that allows a hospital or health care provider a longer period to collect a medical debt.
Current law concerning medical debt
The current law has a five-year statute of limitations for the collection of medical debt related to services provided in private hospitals. No such requirements exist for public hospitals or debt collection agencies that buy medical debt from healthcare providers or hospitals.
Clark explained to a House Courts of Justice subcommittee that his bill would mean “after three years, families can’t be sued for any medical debt that they often have no choice in procuring.”