Medical debt and credit reports in Nevada

Nevada law limits when some medical debt can be reported to credit bureaus.

Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.

The rule in Nevada

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). Since January 1, 2026, a hospital that is not following state and federal rules on posting its prices may not report a medical debt, or cause it to be reported, while it is out of compliance.

Who the rule covers: Collection agencies and hospitals that are out of compliance with price-posting rules

In effect since: July 1, 2021

Law: NRS 649.366, 649.367; NRS 439B.2831

State bans and federal law

In January 2025 the CFPB issued a rule to keep most medical debt off credit reports. On July 11, 2025 a federal court in Texas vacated (cancelled) that rule at the joint request of the CFPB and the plaintiffs. The rule is not in effect.
On October 28, 2025 the CFPB published its view that the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act generally overrides (preempts) state laws that keep categories of information such as medical debt off credit reports. The CFPB also said its guidance is not binding and that courts decide these questions.
On August 10, 2026 a federal court in Texas declared that a Texas law barring credit bureaus from reporting certain out-of-network medical debt is preempted by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and barred the state from enforcing it. That ruling is about the Texas law; laws in other states are decided case by case.

Law: Cornerstone Credit Union League v. CFPB, No. 4:25-cv-16 (E.D. Tex. July 11, 2025); CFPB; CFPB interpretive rule, Fair Credit Reporting Act; Preemption of State Laws, 90 FR 48710 (Oct. 28, 2025); Consumer Data Industry Ass'n v. Texas, No. 1:19-CV-876-RP (W.D. Tex. Aug. 10, 2026)

Other limits on collection in Nevada

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.
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

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.

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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.

Questions about medical bills in Nevada

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?

Nearby states

National rules that apply in every state

Nonprofit hospitals (federal rules)

Each nonprofit hospital must have a written financial assistance policy (FAP).

Law: 26 U.S.C. 501(r)(4); 26 CFR 1.501(r)-4

Before any ECA, the hospital must tell you about financial assistance and wait at least 120 days from the first bill sent after you left the hospital.

Law: 26 CFR 1.501(r)-6(c)(3)

You can apply for at least 240 days from the first bill sent after you left the hospital.

Law: 26 CFR 1.501(r)-1(b)(3)

If you apply during the application period, even with an incomplete application, the hospital and its collectors must stop starting or continuing ECAs until the hospital decides, or until you fail to send requested information within a reasonable time.

Law: 26 CFR 1.501(r)-6(c)(8)

Once you are found eligible, the hospital cannot charge you more than the amounts generally billed (AGB) to people with insurance for emergency or other medically necessary care, and must charge less than its full gross charges for other covered care.

Law: 26 U.S.C. 501(r)(5); 26 CFR 1.501(r)-5

Surprise bills (No Surprises Act)

With most private health plans (job-based plans, Marketplace and other individual plans), you are protected from surprise out-of-network bills for emergency care, for non-emergency care at an in-network hospital, hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgical center, and for air ambulance services.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 300gg-111, 300gg-131, 300gg-132, 300gg-135

For protected services, you can't be charged more than your in-network cost-sharing (copay, coinsurance, deductible).

Law: 42 U.S.C. 300gg-131, 300gg-132

Ground ambulance services are generally not covered by these federal protections, unless a state law has different rules.

Law: CMS, Know your rights when using insurance

If you don't have insurance or won't use it, providers and facilities must usually give you a written good faith estimate.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 300gg-136; 45 CFR 149.610

If one provider's or facility's bill is at least $400 more than its good faith estimate, you can use the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.

Law: 45 CFR 149.620(a)(2)(ii), (c)(1)

Credit reports

A collection account generally cannot be reported for more than 7 years.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(4), (c)(1)

For a veteran's medical debt (care authorized by the VA from a non-VA provider, or a bill the VA charged in error), nationwide credit bureaus may not report it until 1 year after the care, and may not report it once it is fully paid or settled, when they know it is a veteran's medical debt.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(7), (8); 15 U.S.C. 1681a

If a medical debt on your credit report is wrong, you can dispute it with the credit bureau for free.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1681i(a)(1)

Debt collectors

A debt collector must give you validation information about the debt, including the amount and how to dispute it.

Law: 12 CFR 1006.34

If you dispute the debt in writing within the validation period, the collector must stop collecting the disputed amount until it sends you verification of the debt.

Law: 12 CFR 1006.38(c), (d)(2)

A debt collector must not sue or threaten to sue you on a time-barred debt, meaning a debt whose statute of limitations has run out.

Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)

Itemized bills and price lists

Your medical and billing records kept by a health care provider are part of your 'designated record set'.

Law: 45 CFR 164.501 (designated record set); 45 CFR 164.524(b)(2)

If Medicare paid for an item or service, you can ask the provider in writing for an itemized statement.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 1395b-7(b)

Every hospital must post online a machine-readable file of all its standard charges, and a consumer-friendly list of at least 300 shoppable services (or an online price estimator tool).

Law: 45 CFR 180.40, 180.50, 180.60

Medicaid and Medicare

If you qualify for Medicaid, it can pay for covered care you got up to 3 months before the month you applied, if you were eligible then.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(34), 1396d(a); Pub. L. 119-21, sec. 71112 (July 4, 2025)

If you are in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, Medicare providers may not bill you for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance or copays for Medicare-covered care.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 1396a(n)(3)(B); CMS

If your health plan denies a claim

You must file an internal appeal within 180 days (6 months) of the notice that your claim was denied.

Law: 45 CFR 147.136(b); HealthCare.gov

After a final denial, you can ask for an external review by an independent reviewer within 4 months.

Law: 45 CFR 147.136(c), (d); HealthCare.gov

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