Medical debt law doesn’t stop at the federal level. Every state sits on top of the federal framework with its own rules on how long collectors have to sue you, what they can and cannot take if they win, and in some cases whether medical debt can appear on your credit report at all. Knowing your state’s rules can change the entire calculation on how to respond to a collector or whether an old balance is even worth engaging with. This section covers the state-by-state picture in full. The starting point is our guide to medical debt laws by state, and the articles here go deeper on specific legal questions that vary by jurisdiction.
Maryland legally bans hospitals and collection agencies from reporting medical debt to Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, regardless of the type of healthcare bill. This credit reporting ban, combined with a short 3-year statute of limitations, means collectors lose their two most powerful weapons faster in Maryland than almost anywhere else. Maryland hospitals must screen patients … Read more
Maine is currently advancing 2026 legislation that proposes significant new restrictions on medical debt wage garnishment. While that legislation is pending, current rules still allow collectors to garnish a portion of your disposable earnings if they successfully sue you. Maine residents rely on federal FCRA guidelines for credit reporting, as the state has not yet … Read more
Louisiana’s Undue Medical Debt program has forgiven large pools of medical debt, but you must manually verify with your hospital if your account was included. For debts that are not forgiven, the state enforces a strict 3-year “prescription” period (statute of limitations), meaning older debts may already be time-barred. Louisiana does not ban wage garnishment; … Read more
Under current Indiana law, debt collectors who win a court judgment can garnish up to 25% of your disposable earnings for unpaid medical bills. A major 2026 Senate bill proposes banning wage garnishment entirely for residents making at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The pending legislation would also cap garnishment at 10% … Read more
Illinois has actively erased over $400 million in medical debt for residents through a dedicated state forgiveness program partnered with Undue Medical Debt. Patients with a household income below 600% of the Federal Poverty Level, or those who are uninsured and demonstrate an inability to pay, are the primary focus for debt relief under state … Read more
Florida offers a powerful “head of family” wage exemption that can completely protect the primary earner’s paycheck from medical debt garnishment. This exemption is not automatic. You must proactively file paperwork to claim it if a collector attempts to garnish your wages after winning a lawsuit. If you do not qualify for the head of … Read more
As of July 1, 2024, a new Connecticut law strictly prohibits healthcare providers and collection agencies from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus. Connecticut does not ban wage garnishment for medical debt; collectors who secure a court judgment can still garnish up to 25% of your disposable earnings. The statute of limitations for collectors to … Read more
Colorado’s HB26-1267 legislation establishes a complete wage garnishment ban for medical debt, meaning collectors cannot legally take your paycheck even if they win a court judgment. Payment plans for medical bills in the state are now legally capped at 4% of a patient’s weekly income, stopping aggressive demands for unaffordable monthly installments. Under new regulations, … Read more
California is the only state where the Rosenthal Act makes original hospitals subject to the same strict rules as third-party debt collectors. Starting in 2025, medical debt cannot legally be placed on your credit report in California. Under AB 1020, California hospitals are legally required to screen you for financial assistance before sending your account … Read more
Arizona passed Proposition 209 in 2022, introducing aggressive consumer protections that cap interest rates on medical debt and vastly increase asset exemptions. Arizona is not a wage garnishment ban state. Collectors can seek to garnish up to 25% of your disposable earnings with a court judgment. There is no state-level credit reporting ban in Arizona; … Read more
Federal laws provide a minimum baseline, but state medical debt laws often set a much higher ceiling for patient protections. A growing number of states, led by New York and Colorado, have moved to completely ban wage garnishment for medical debt. Over 15 states now restrict or outright ban medical debt from appearing on credit … Read more
The Wyoming medical debt statute of limitations is 8 years, giving collectors one of the longest windows in the country to file a lawsuit against you. Making a partial payment or acknowledging an old debt in writing can reset this 8-year clock entirely back to day one. Despite the long timeline to sue, Wyoming offers … Read more
Collectors have six years from your last payment or first delinquency to file a lawsuit for medical debt in Wisconsin. Making a partial payment or acknowledging the debt in writing instantly resets this six-year legal clock back to day one. Wisconsin law protects 80 percent of your disposable earnings from garnishment, which provides a stronger … Read more
Collectors have exactly 10 years to file a lawsuit against you for unpaid medical bills in West Virginia. This decade-long window means the common internet advice of “waiting out” an old medical debt is highly dangerous for West Virginia residents. Medical debt falls off your credit report after seven years, creating a hidden three-year gap … Read more
Washington State enforces a six-year legal deadline for collectors to file a lawsuit over unpaid medical debt. Unlike federal law, the Washington Consumer Protection Act gives you the right to sue abusive collectors for damages. Making a partial payment on an old medical bill can completely restart the six-year legal window, giving collectors fresh grounds … Read more
The Virginia medical debt statute of limitations is 5 years, giving debt collectors a strict timeline to file a lawsuit against you. Making a partial payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can reset this 5-year clock back to the first day. Virginia is fundamentally changing its collection rules with the Medical Debt Protection Act, … Read more