How long after service can a doctor bill you in Washington state?

Asked by: Therese Grimes  |  Last update: August 14, 2025
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Bills must be received within one year of the date of service to be considered for payment.

What is the statute of limitations on medical billing in Washington state?

The statute of limitations for credit card debt and medical bills in Washington state is six years.

How long after a service can you be billed?

Providers typically have between 6 months and 1 year (depending on state law) to bill services to your health plan. If they miss this window, the insurer will not pay. But that doesn't release you from paying – the provider can still bill you directly for the full amount.

How long can a doctor wait to bill a patient?

In medical billing, the provider has a time limit that determines how soon they must submit a claim before the payer denies it. While every insurance provider maintains a different “timely filing” period, the deadlines range from 90 days up to a year.

Can my doctor bill me a year later?

Medical providers and hospitals have varying time limits by state to send bills, often ranging from months to several years. You are required to pay medical bills, either directly or through insurance, but financial assistance or payment plans may be available.

How Long Can Hospitals Wait To Bill You? - CountyOffice.org

31 related questions found

How long does a hospital have to bill you for services in Washington state?

Bills must be received within one year of the date of service to be considered for payment.

How far back can you bill insurance?

How Far Back Does Health Insurance Cover? There is no set time period for filing a health insurance claim. However, it is recommended that you file claims on a timely basis (within a year). If the date of service was within the plan year of that policy, you should file a claim even if you think it will be denied.

Can a doctor bill you 2 years later in Oregon?

When a provider submits a bill more than 12 months after the date of service, the bill is not payable, except when a provision of subsection (2)(a) is the reason the billing was submitted after 12 months.

When can you bill as a new patient?

A new patient is one who has not received any professional services from the physician/qualified health care professional or another physician/qualified health care professional of the exact same specialty and subspecialty who belongs to the same group practice, within the past three years.

Can a dentist bill you 5 years later?

In most states, the statute of limitations to collect on unpaid medical bills is between three and six years. However, in some states, a creditor has between 10-15 years to try and collect on the debt.

Can you invoice someone 6 months later?

Although you have the right to invoice, where the invoice is over 6 months old we would recommend to include a covering letter apologising for the delay or simply calling your customer beforehand to discuss the matter.

Do I have to pay an invoice over 6 years old?

The limitation period for collection of debts is 6 years from the date the debt became payable and after that time they may become statute barred. This means that the debt is no longer recoverable, including by legal action in the courts.

How far back can you invoice for services?

Business debts are covered by the Limitation Act 1980, this statute of limitations provides timescales as to how long a creditor can chase the debtor for an unpaid debt. Most companies don't realise that they are entitled to chase invoices that go back as far as 6 years.

What is statute limitations in Washington State?

In Washington, there is a three-year statute of limitations for personal injury, injury to property, fraud, and trespass claims; but defamation claims only have a two-year limit. For Washington criminal charges, there is no limit for murder charges but a two-year statute of limitations for gross misdemeanors.

Can medical bills go to collections in Washington State?

Having medical bills, especially when you have been sick, can cause worry and extra stress. But ignoring these bills can lead to bigger problems. Your bills might be turned over to a collection agency or you might be sued. If you cannot afford your medical debt, here are some options that can help.

What is limitation in medical billing?

In medical billing, a timely filing limit is the timeframe within which a claim must be submitted to a payer. Different payers will have different timely filing limits; some payers allow 90 days for a claim to be filed, while others will allow as much as a year.

Are you considered a new patient after 2 years?

Medicare has stated that a patient is a new patient if no face-to-face service was reported in the last three years.

What does modifier 25 mean in medical billing?

The American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) book defines Modifier 25 as a significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional on the same day of the procedure or other service.

What is the time based billing guideline?

Time-based coding is based solely on the time spent on the day of the encounter. It can also include time that is not face-to-face. For even longer visits that exceed these times, code 99417 is reported to private payers, along with code 99205/99215 for every 15 minutes of additional time spent.

How long can a doctor wait to bill you?

For services rendered, or inpatient discharges, on or after January 1, 2017, there is a statutory requirement that medical bills be submitted within 12 months of the date of service, or within 12 months of the date of discharge for an inpatient bill.

How long after a service can a company bill you?

Key Takeaways. Contractors should collect payment for services rendered within a reasonable amount of time-usually 30 days- and document all invoices and communications sent to customers for proof should legal action be necessary.

Do I have to pay a medical bill from 7 years ago?

And here's one more caveat: While unpaid medical bills will come off your credit report after seven years, you may still be legally responsible for them depending on the statute of limitations.

How far back can you bill?

These rules set out when a supplier can charge you for any shortfalls in payment for energy you've used. You cannot be charged for energy used more than 12 months ago if: you have not had an accurate bill for it before, even though you asked for one.

Can a doctor bill you 2 years later in California?

With respect to the collection of medical debt, the applicable statute of limitations is the statute of limitations for breach (violation) of written contract. In California, the statute of limitations for breach of written contract is typically four years.