Medical bills in Nevada: free care, credit reports and your rights
Nevada has a state charity-care law, but it does not set one income limit: each hospital's policy decides who gets free or discounted care.
Nevada law limits when some medical debt can be reported to credit bureaus.
Charity care means free or discounted care for people with low income. Hospitals also call it financial assistance.
Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.
Federal rules for nonprofit hospitals apply in every state. Free help can review your bill.
Can I get my bill reduced in Nevada?
Nevada has a state charity-care law, but it does not set one income limit: each hospital's policy decides who gets free or discounted care.
- The law
Nevada uninsured patient discount and hospital indigent care duty
Law: NRS 439B.260; NRS 439B.300 to 439B.340; NRS 439B.115, 439B.260, 439B.300-439B.340
- Which hospitals
The 30% discount applies to major hospitals: hospitals with 200 or more beds (or part of an affiliated group in a county with 200 or more beds combined) that are not run by a government agency.
- Who can get help
The 30% discount is for inpatients who have no health insurance, are not eligible for a public program that would pay the bill, and make reasonable arrangements to pay within 30 days after the hospital's notice.
- The most you can be charged
A major hospital must reduce the total billed charge for an uninsured inpatient who qualifies by at least 30%.
- Deadline to apply
To get the 30% discount, you must make reasonable arrangements to pay within 30 days after the hospital sends the notice of the discount with your first bill after discharge.
Law: NRS 439B.115, 439B.260, 439B.300-439B.340
Is my debt too old in Nevada?
| Kind of agreement | Time limit to sue |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Open account | 4 years |
| Oral (spoken) agreement | 4 years |
| Medical debt (set by statute) | 4 years |
A lawsuit to collect money owed to a hospital for hospital care must be filed within 4 years after the date a payment that was due was not paid. For other debts: a written contract has 6 years; an open account for goods sold, a store account, or a contract not in writing has 4 years.
- What can restart the clock
A payment made after the debt is due, but before the time limit runs out, restarts the clock from that payment. Any payment, affirmation or other action on a debt after the time limit has run out does not revive it. For hospital bills, the 4 years are paused while the hospital is waiting for an insurance or public program decision and while you are making payments.
- When the clock starts
For hospital care: the date a payment that was due was not paid. For other debts: from the last transaction, last item charged or last credit given.
Law: NRS 11.2095, 11.190(1)(b), (2)(a)-(c), 11.200
A time limit to sue can differ by kind of agreement, and when it starts and what restarts it can differ; a court decides.
Can they sue me or report it in Nevada?
- Credit reports
Partial limit
A collection agency must mail you a notice at least 60 days before it takes any action to collect a medical debt, and may not report the debt to a credit bureau during those 60 days (since July 1, 2021).
- Waiting rules
Before taking any action to collect a medical debt, a collection agency must mail you a notice at least 60 days ahead with the name of the provider, the date of service, the principal amount and the agency's name. During those 60 days it may accept a payment only if you contact it and it tells you no payment is due and the debt will not be reported. A payment you make during that time does not extend the time limit to sue and is not an admission that you owe. For medical debt incurred on or after January 1, 2026, a hospital, other licensed facility, doctor group or staffing company must send you an itemized statement before it takes or authorizes any collection action. When a collection agency collects for a hospital, it must tell you within 5 days that paying or agreeing to pay may count as acknowledging the claim but does not give up the time limit to sue.
- Interest
A collection agency may not charge more than 5% of the medical debt as a collection fee or attorney's fee.
- Wage garnishment
A creditor can take no more than 18% of your weekly disposable earnings if your gross weekly pay is $770 or less (25% if more), and never more than the amount above 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage. This is more protection than federal law.
- Lawsuit rules
A collection agency may not file a regular lawsuit to collect a medical debt if the principal is below the small claims limit ($10,000); it may use small claims court. It may not take a confession of judgment. A hospital that is out of compliance with price-posting rules may not refer a medical debt to collections or sue or seek arbitration on it while out of compliance. These protections cannot be waived.
Law: NRS 649.332, 649.366-649.369, 439B.2831, 439B.2841, 31.295, 73.010
Surprise bills and ambulance bills in Nevada
- State law
Nevada emergency services balance billing law
Law: NRS 439B.700 to 439B.760, AB 469 of 2019; NRS 439B.736, 439B.742, 439B.745, 439B.757
- Which plans it covers
State-regulated health plans, the Public Employees' Benefits Program and the Public Option. Local government and self-funded plans are covered only if they choose to join.
- What it adds
For medically necessary emergency services, an out-of-network provider may not collect more from you than your in-network copayment, coinsurance or deductible. This does not apply at critical access hospitals or to care given more than 24 hours after the hospital notifies your plan that you are stable.
- Ground ambulance
No state limit listed
Nevada has no state limit on ground ambulance bills that we list here. The federal No Surprises Act generally does not cover ground ambulances either, so ask the ambulance company about financial assistance and a payment plan.
Law: NRS 439B.736, 439B.742, 439B.745, 439B.757
Itemized bills and price estimates in Nevada
Nevada law gives you a right to an itemized bill.
For medical debt incurred on or after January 1, 2026, before a hospital or other licensed health facility, a doctor group (other than a small practice) or a staffing company takes any action to collect, or lets a collector do so, it must give you an easy-to-understand itemized statement with the billing codes for each item, information about language help, and the name, phone number and email of someone who can discuss the bill and reduce or cancel it. It must also give you an itemized receipt within 30 days after each payment, or it may not collect. If it breaks these rules, you can file a claim with the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection; collection must stop while the claim is investigated, and if a violation is found the debt is cancelled and payments are refunded.
Law: NRS 439B.2841; NRS 2025 Nev. Stat. ch. 247 (AB 343), sec. 26
Price estimates
Nevada hospitals must post a list of standard charges for all items and services and either an online price estimator or a list of at least 300 shoppable services, updated every year. A hospital that is not following these rules may not send a medical debt to collections, sue on it or report it while out of compliance; if the Attorney General finds it did, the debt is cancelled and payments are refunded.
Law: NRS 439B.2823, 439B.2825, 439B.2827, 439B.2831
Health coverage and Medicaid in Nevada
Nevada Medicaid is Nevada's Medicaid program. Apply for it here:
Where to complain in Nevada
- Attorney general: Nevada Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection
A provider tried to collect without the required itemized statement or receipt, or a hospital collected while out of compliance with price-posting rules, or another consumer problem. - Debt collectors: Nevada Financial Institutions Division · 702-486-4120
A collection agency broke Nevada's medical debt collection rules. - Health insurance: Nevada Division of Insurance
A surprise emergency bill or claim problem with a state-regulated health plan.
Free help in Nevada
Free tools, letters and checklist
Good to know in Nevada
- Nevada has a lawsuit time limit written just for hospital bills: 4 years from the missed payment, paused while insurance or a public program is deciding and while you are making payments.
Law: NRS 11.2095
- A collection agency cannot file a regular lawsuit over a medical debt under the $10,000 small claims limit and cannot charge more than a 5% collection fee.
Law: NRS 649.368
- Starting January 1, 2026, a hospital that does not post its prices as state and federal rules require may not send bills to collections, sue or report them while out of compliance.
Law: NRS 439B.2831
Changes in 2024–2026
January 1, 2026: AB 343 added state hospital price-posting rules, barred noncompliant hospitals from collecting, suing on or reporting medical debt, and required an itemized statement before collection and receipts after payment (for medical debt incurred on or after January 1, 2026), with complaints to the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Law: 2025 Nev. Stat. ch. 247; NRS 439B.2801-439B.2841
Questions about medical bills in Nevada
Does Nevada require hospitals to give free or discounted care?
Nevada has a state charity-care law, but it does not set one income limit: each hospital's policy decides who gets free or discounted care.
Can medical debt be reported to credit bureaus in Nevada?
Nevada law limits when some medical debt can be reported to credit bureaus. A collection agency must mail you a notice at least 60 days before it takes any action to collect a medical debt, and may not report the debt to a credit bureau during those 60 days (since July 1, 2021).
How long can a medical bill be collected or sued on in Nevada?
A lawsuit to collect money owed to a hospital for hospital care must be filed within 4 years after the date a payment that was due was not paid. For other debts: a written contract has 6 years; an open account for goods sold, a store account, or a contract not in writing has 4 years.
Can a medical debt lead to wage garnishment or a lien on my home in Nevada?
A creditor can take no more than 18% of your weekly disposable earnings if your gross weekly pay is $770 or less (25% if more), and never more than the amount above 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage. This is more protection than federal law.
Do I have a right to an itemized bill in Nevada?
For medical debt incurred on or after January 1, 2026, before a hospital or other licensed health facility, a doctor group (other than a small practice) or a staffing company takes any action to collect, or lets a collector do so, it must give you an easy-to-understand itemized statement with the billing codes for each item, information about language help, and the name, phone number and email of someone who can discuss the bill and reduce or cancel it. It must also give you an itemized receipt within 30 days after each payment, or it may not collect.
More help
Nearby states
Sources
- NRS chapter 439B (uninsured discount, indigent care, hospital pricing and medical debt, emergency balance billing)
- 2025 Statutes of Nevada, pages 1587-1722 (AB 343, ch. 247)
- NRS chapter 649 (collection agencies, medical debt)
- NRS chapter 11 (time limits, incl. 11.2095 hospital bills)
- NRS 31.295 (wage garnishment limit)
- NRS 73.010 (small claims limit)
- Nevada Division of Insurance: Balance Billing FAQs
- Nevada Financial Institutions Division: Resources and Complaints
- Nevada Attorney General: Complaints
- Nevada DWSS: Apply for Medicaid
- SB 248 (2021), enrolled (effective July 1, 2021), posted by the Nevada Financial Institutions Division