Am I the only one frustrated with a health system that allows for bills to show up not only as a slow trickle but also an avalanche if you have been unlucky to intersect with a hospital system for anything. But as if that was not bad enough there is no of limitations for medical bills and this South Korean couple found themselves on the receiving end of an $18,000+ bill for a visit that took place over 2 years ago for a 22-minute visit that included a nap and some formula milk
Image Credit Vox
Two years later, the bill finally arrived at their home: They owed the hospital $18,836 for the 3 hour and 22 minute visit, the bulk of which was for a mysterious fee for $15,666 labeled “trauma activation,” which sometimes is known as “a trauma response fee.”
The fee multipliers obfuscating any understanding of the justification and naturally with the long delay any ability to recall details to support or refute the claim likely lost to the mists of time. And these trauma fees make me want to order a new MedicAlert Bracelet with a
“Do Not Take me to Any Trauma Center”
As this lady did
Awful scene on the orange line. A woman’s leg got stuck in the gap between the train and the platform. It was twisted and bloody. Skin came off. She’s in agony and weeping. Just as upsetting she begged no one call an ambulance. “It’s $3000,” she wailed. “I can’t afford that.”
— Maria Cramer (@NYTimesCramer) June 29, 2018
It doesn’t matter if they fail to bill you or communicate your debt. Each state may have some form of limitation on collection of debts – it would be worth taking a look at the rules for your state which can be found here (and also at the bottom of this post). Time varies from a low of 3 years to 10 years (15 in the case of older debts in Kentucky)
Essentially – if the bill shows up and it’s legitimate you have to pay it. Never mind the fact that budget allocation has long since passed
In the Meantime – share your bills with the Vox Team here. Transparency is on the path to resolution – it’s a small incremental step you could take and it may not help you now, but it may help others and yourself in the future as we expose the secret world of hospital bills to hard data analysis and review
| State | Statute | Written contract | Oral contract | Injury | Property damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Ala. Code § 6-2-30 et seq. * | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 09.10.010 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 (real property); 2 (personal property) |
| Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 12-541 et seq. | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-101 et seq. | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| California | Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 312 et seq. | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Colorado | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101 et seq. | 3 (6 most debts; rent) (2 tortious breach) |
3 (6 short-term debt/rent ) (2 tortious breach) |
2 (injuries from motor vehicle accidents, 3 years) | 2 |
| Connecticut | Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 52-575 et seq. | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Delaware | Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8101 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | D.C. Code § 12-301 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Florida | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 95.011 et seq. | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Georgia | Ga. Code Ann. § 9-3-20 et seq. | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Idaho | Idaho Code § 5-201 et seq. | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Illinois | 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-201 et seq. | 10 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Indiana | Ind. Code Ann. § 34-11-2-1 et seq. | 10 | 6 | 2 | 6 (real property); 2 (personal property) |
| Iowa | Iowa Code Ann. § 614.1 et seq. | 10 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-501 et seq. | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.080 et seq. | 10 (15 years for contracts entered into on or before July 15, 2014) | 5 | 1 | 5 (real property); 3 (personal property) |
| Louisiana | La. civil code § 3492 et seq. | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, § 751 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Maryland | Md. Courts & Jud. Proc. Code Ann. § 5-101 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Massachusetts | Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 260, § 1 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Michigan | Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 541.01 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Mississippi | Miss. Code. Ann. § 15-1-1 et seq. | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Missouri | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.097 et seq. | 10 (If contract is for something other than payment of money or property, then the statute of limitations is five years.) | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Montana | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202 et seq. | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Nebraska | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-201 et seq. | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 11.010 et seq. | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:1 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| New Jersey | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2a:14-1 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| New Mexico | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-1 et seq. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| New York | N.Y. Civ. Prac. Laws & Rules § 201 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| North Carolina | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-46 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| North Dakota | N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-01 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.03 et seq. | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Oklahoma | Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 91 et seq. | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.010 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5501 et seq. | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Rhode Island | R. I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-12 et seq. | 10 | 10 | 3 | 10 |
| South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-510 et seq. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 15-2-1 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-101 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Texas | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001 et seq., Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ann. § 2.725 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 78B-2-101 et seq. | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 461 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Virginia | Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-228 et seq. | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 4.16.005 et seq. | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| West Virginia | W. Va. Code § 55-2-1 et seq. | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 893.01 et seq. | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-102 et seq. | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
