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Medical debt laws in Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA · STATUTE-SOURCED · MAINTAINED — LAST REVIEWED AUG 2026 · FREE, NO ACCOUNT

In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations on medical debt is 4 years (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(a)). Pennsylvania applies one 4-year period to essentially all contract debt: 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(4) covers contracts implied in law and § 5525(a)(8) covers obligations founded on a writing, so a medical bill is 4 years whether treated as an implied contract/open account or a written contract — no classification ambiguity affects the number. 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.

Pennsylvania — statute of limitations on debt
Written contracts4 years
Oral agreements4 years
Open accounts (credit cards)4 years
Medical debt4 years
SOURCE: 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(a)

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, but only by common law (no statute): a partial payment or acknowledgment restarts the 4-year period only if it is a clear, distinct, and unequivocal acknowledgment of the specific debt from which a new promise to pay can be inferred.

Pennsylvania protections for medical debt

  • Pennsylvania Medical Debt Relief Program (2024–25 Pa. state budget appropriation (no consumer-protection statute cite)) — A state-funded program ($4 million in the 2024–25 budget) that partners with a nonprofit to buy and retire eligible residents' medical debt in bulk (households at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, or with medical debt of 5%+ of income); relief is automatic with no application, but it is a debt-forgiveness program, not a collection or credit-reporting protection — a broader Medical Debt Relief Act remained pending as of 2025.
  • 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 Pennsylvania sets for collectors

Beyond the federal FDCPA, Pennsylvania has its own collection statute — the Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA) (73 Pa. Stat. § 2270.1 et seq.). Prohibits unfair and deceptive debt-collection practices and, unlike the federal FDCPA, covers original creditors as well as third-party collectors; violations are deemed violations of Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, enforceable by the Attorney General and via private UTPCPL remedies.

No — Pennsylvania has no statewide license, registration, or bond requirement for collection agencies (the City of Philadelphia separately requires a local collection-agency license).

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

  1. Do not confirm the debt is yours on the phone, and do not make a payment yet — get everything in writing first.
  2. Ask for the collector’s company name, mailing address, and the amount claimed. Write down the date and time.
  3. Check the dates: if the last activity on the bill is older than 4 years, the debt may be time-barred in Pennsylvania.
  4. Send a written validation request within 30 days. Generate the letter free →
  5. 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 Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection 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 Pennsylvania?

The statute of limitations on medical debt in Pennsylvania is 4 years (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(a)). Pennsylvania applies one 4-year period to essentially all contract debt: 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(4) covers contracts implied in law and § 5525(a)(8) covers obligations founded on a writing, so a medical bill is 4 years whether treated as an implied contract/open account or a written contract — no classification ambiguity affects the number. 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 4 years in Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania?

Yes, but only by common law (no statute): a partial payment or acknowledgment restarts the 4-year period only if it is a clear, distinct, and unequivocal acknowledgment of the specific debt from which a new promise to pay can be inferred.

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 Pennsylvania 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. Pennsylvania adds its own protections on top — see the list on this page.

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 Pennsylvania?

File with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection (https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/) and with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Complaints are free and create a record.

Keep reading

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.

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