Medical debt laws in Louisiana
In Louisiana, the statute of limitations on medical debt is 3 years (La. Civ. Code art. 3494 (3-year prescription: services rendered/professional fees (1), money lent (3), open accounts (4)); La. Civ. Code art. 3499 (residual 10-year prescription for personal actions, written or oral)). Louisiana law (liberative prescription, not 'statute of limitations') puts actions on open accounts and for compensation for services rendered — including professional fees such as health care charges — under the 3-year prescription of La. Civ. Code art. 3494; medical bills are billed as open accounts/services, so 3 years is the applicable and well-settled period. Only a personal action on a distinct written obligation falls under the residual 10-year period of art. 3499 (ordinary contract claims, written or oral, default to 10 years unless enumerated in art. 3494). That clock decides whether a collector can win a lawsuit against you — which changes what you should do next, so check the dates on the bill before you do anything else.
| Written contracts | 10 years |
| Oral agreements | 10 years |
| Open accounts (credit cards) | 3 years |
| Medical debt | 3 years |
What the time limit actually means
The statute of limitations does not erase a debt — it limits how long a collector can successfully sue over it. A time-barred debt can still be requested, reported (within credit-reporting time limits), and settled. But if a collector sues after the period has run and you raise the statute of limitations as a defense, the case should be dismissed. The defense is not automatic: you must respond to the lawsuit to use it.
Careful: Yes — acknowledgment of the debt interrupts prescription (La. Civ. Code art. 3464), and Louisiana courts treat a partial payment as an acknowledgment, so the full prescriptive period begins to run anew from the payment (art. 3466).
Protections that apply in Louisiana
- Charity care is federal law. Nonprofit hospitals must maintain a written Financial Assistance Policy and publicize it (IRS §501(r)). If your bill is from a nonprofit hospital, ask for the FAP application before paying anything. How to apply →
- Surprise out-of-network bills. The federal No Surprises Act bans most out-of-network balance billing for emergency care and for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities. When a bill is illegal →
- Credit reporting. The national bureaus no longer report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or those less than a year old.
Rules Louisiana sets for collectors
Beyond the federal FDCPA, Louisiana has its own collection statute — the None comprehensive — Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law applies (La. R.S. 51:1401 et seq.; collection-agency registration at La. R.S. 9:3534.1). Louisiana has no comprehensive mini-FDCPA; abusive collection practices are pursued under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law enforced by the Attorney General, and collection agencies are separately subject to a registration-and-bond requirement under La. R.S. 9:3534.1 (Act 534 of 2006).
Collection agencies and debt collectors doing business in Louisiana must register with the Louisiana Secretary of State and post a $10,000 surety bond under La. R.S. 9:3534.1; there is no license from the Office of Financial Institutions.
Under the FDCPA, within five days of first contacting you a collector must send a written validation notice (15 U.S.C. §1692g). If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of that notice, the collector must stop collection activity until it mails you verification. There is no legal deadline for the collector to respond — but until it does, it cannot lawfully keep collecting.
If a collector is calling: the first 24 hours
- Do not confirm the debt is yours on the phone, and do not make a payment yet — get everything in writing first.
- Ask for the collector’s company name, mailing address, and the amount claimed. Write down the date and time.
- Check the dates: if the last activity on the bill is older than 3 years, the debt may be time-barred in Louisiana.
- Send a written validation request within 30 days. Generate the letter free →
- If the bill is from a hospital, request an itemized bill and ask about financial assistance — billing errors are common and assistance is often retroactive.
Where to complain in Louisiana
Louisiana Attorney General Consumer Protection Section (Public Protection Division) handles collection complaints at the state level. Federally, file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — complaints become part of the public record collectors are judged on.
Common questions
How long can a debt collector pursue medical debt in Louisiana?
The statute of limitations on medical debt in Louisiana is 3 years (La. Civ. Code art. 3494 (3-year prescription: services rendered/professional fees (1), money lent (3), open accounts (4)); La. Civ. Code art. 3499 (residual 10-year prescription for personal actions, written or oral)). Louisiana law (liberative prescription, not 'statute of limitations') puts actions on open accounts and for compensation for services rendered — including professional fees such as health care charges — under the 3-year prescription of La. Civ. Code art. 3494; medical bills are billed as open accounts/services, so 3 years is the applicable and well-settled period. Only a personal action on a distinct written obligation falls under the residual 10-year period of art. 3499 (ordinary contract claims, written or oral, default to 10 years unless enumerated in art. 3494). After that period, a lawsuit to collect can be challenged as time-barred, though collectors may still ask you to pay voluntarily.
Can I be sued for a medical bill after 3 years in Louisiana?
A collector can still file a lawsuit after the limitations period, but the statute of limitations is a defense: if you raise it, a time-barred case should be dismissed. It is not automatic — you must respond to the lawsuit and assert it. Never ignore a court summons.
Does making a small payment restart the clock in Louisiana?
Yes — acknowledgment of the debt interrupts prescription (La. Civ. Code art. 3464), and Louisiana courts treat a partial payment as an acknowledgment, so the full prescriptive period begins to run anew from the payment (art. 3466).
Does unpaid medical debt go on my credit report?
Since 2023, the three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) do not report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or medical collections less than a year old. Larger, older unpaid medical collections can still appear.
Do hospitals in Louisiana have to offer financial assistance?
Every nonprofit hospital in the United States is required by federal law (IRS Section 501(r)) to have a written Financial Assistance Policy and to tell patients about it. Ask the billing office for the Financial Assistance Policy application, in writing.
How do I dispute a medical bill that went to collections?
Send the collector a written debt validation request. Under the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. §1692g), if you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of their first notice, the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification of the debt. You can generate that letter free on this site — no account needed.
Where do I complain about a debt collector in Louisiana?
File with the Louisiana Attorney General Consumer Protection Section (Public Protection Division) (https://www.ag.state.la.us/Page/ConsumerDispute) and with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Complaints are free and create a record.
Keep reading
- Statute of limitations on all debt in Louisiana
- Free debt validation letter generator — no account needed
- Look up a debt collector — CFPB complaint records for the biggest agencies
- Charity care: hospital financial assistance, applied
- Medical debt laws in Missouri
- Medical debt laws in New York
- Medical debt laws in Rhode Island
- Medical debt laws in Virginia
- Medical debt laws in Arizona
- Medical debt laws in Georgia
Legal information, not legal advice. Statutes change and courts interpret them — for advice on your situation, talk to a lawyer or your state’s legal aid office. Last reviewed AUG 2026.