Medical debt laws in Michigan
In Michigan, the statute of limitations on medical debt is 6 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9) (6 years, breach of contract); MCL 600.5866 (revival by written acknowledgment)). Michigan has no medical-debt-specific limitations statute; a medical bill — whether viewed as a written contract, oral/implied contract, or open account — is an action to recover money due for breach of contract under the general 6-year period of MCL 600.5807(9) (verified current through PA 91 of 2026), so 6 years applies either way (sale-of-goods contracts under the UCC, 4 years, MCL 440.2725, do not cover medical services). 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 | 6 years |
| Oral agreements | 6 years |
| Open accounts (credit cards) | 6 years |
| Medical debt | 6 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 — a voluntary partial payment restarts the 6-year period from the date of payment unless accompanied by circumstances repelling the inference of willingness to pay (Yeiter v. Knights of St. Casimir Aid Society, 461 Mich. 493 (2000)), and a debt already time-barred can be revived by a signed written acknowledgment or promise under MCL 600.5866.
Protections that apply in Michigan
- 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 Michigan sets for collectors
Beyond the federal FDCPA, Michigan has its own collection statute — the Michigan Regulation of Collection Practices Act (RCPA) and Occupational Code Article 9 (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 445.251–445.258 (RCPA); MCL 339.901–339.920 (Occupational Code art. 9)). The RCPA prohibits harassment, deception, communicating with third parties, and misrepresenting legal rights, applies to creditors as well as collection agencies, and allows consumers to sue for actual damages or $50–$150 statutory damages (trebled for willful violations) plus fees; Occupational Code Article 9 imposes parallel conduct rules on licensed agencies.
Yes — collection agencies must hold a license for each place of business from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) under MCL 339.904, with a $5,000 bond and a licensed collection-agency manager.
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 6 years, the debt may be time-barred in Michigan.
- 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 Michigan
Michigan Department of Attorney General — Consumer Protection Team 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 Michigan?
The statute of limitations on medical debt in Michigan is 6 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9) (6 years, breach of contract); MCL 600.5866 (revival by written acknowledgment)). Michigan has no medical-debt-specific limitations statute; a medical bill — whether viewed as a written contract, oral/implied contract, or open account — is an action to recover money due for breach of contract under the general 6-year period of MCL 600.5807(9) (verified current through PA 91 of 2026), so 6 years applies either way (sale-of-goods contracts under the UCC, 4 years, MCL 440.2725, do not cover medical services). 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 6 years in Michigan?
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 Michigan?
Yes — a voluntary partial payment restarts the 6-year period from the date of payment unless accompanied by circumstances repelling the inference of willingness to pay (Yeiter v. Knights of St. Casimir Aid Society, 461 Mich. 493 (2000)), and a debt already time-barred can be revived by a signed written acknowledgment or promise under MCL 600.5866.
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 Michigan 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 Michigan?
File with the Michigan Department of Attorney General — Consumer Protection Team (https://www.michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection) 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 Michigan
- 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 New Hampshire
- Medical debt laws in Oklahoma
- Medical debt laws in Texas
- Medical debt laws in Wyoming
- Medical debt laws in Connecticut
- Medical debt laws in Indiana
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.