How long does a medical facility have to bill for payment?
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How long does a medical facility have to bill for payment?
I received medical services 1 year ago and just received a bill for an outstanding amount. The facility billed my insurance company and says I owe the balancee. However there is no information as to when they billed insurance. The only information on the bill is the date of service; the bill was prepared 5 days ago. Of course, they want their money within 30 days. After over a year, are they still entitled to collect if they have never previously billed me?
Asked on May 31, 2011 under Bankruptcy Law, Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
1) A creditor can attempt legally to bill any time within the "statute of limitations" for that debt in that state, since the SOL defines how long the creditor has to enforce a debt. Assuming there was some written agreement as to the medical services, that gives the creditor up to 5 years to take action. They may seek to collect any time within thhat period, and not having previously billed does not prevent them from billing.
2) It's not uncommon for a bill for medical services to rise up months after the service, since the provider would first often be waiting to see how much was paid by the insurer, which--insurers being what they are--can take months to resolve.
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