Virginia statute of limitations on medical debt and bill collection

Q: What would be the statute of limitations on unpaid medical bill. I owe $350 to a local hospital from December 2002, and started getting collection calls anew. I live in Virginia. Also, is there a separate statute on bill collection that specifically governs collection agencies?

A: To the best of my knowledge, medical bills fall under written contract category, which is 5 years in Virginia. It is within these 5 years, your hospital can file a lawsuit. There is no separate statute for bill collection agencies. If however a medical debt falls under promissory note category, then the statute of limitations is 6 years.