The Hospital Bill
Fla. Stat. 395.3011 — no extraordinary collection action before the steps it lists
In Florida, an extraordinary collection action by a licensed facility includes selling the debt, reporting to credit bureaus, delaying or denying needed care over unpaid bills covered by the financial assistance policy, and steps that need a court process, such as a lien, a foreclosure, seizing a bank account, a lawsuit, an arrest or a wage garnishment.
A facility may not take any of those actions before it has done each of these.
- Made reasonable efforts to determine whether the patient is eligible under its financial assistance policy, and decided any application.
- Provided an itemized statement or bill.
- Billed any applicable insurer and let it decide the claim.
- Sent written notice, by certified mail or another traceable method, that a collection action will begin, and waited 30 days after it.
Not while negotiating or paying. No extraordinary collection action may be taken during an ongoing grievance or claim appeal, while the patient negotiates the final amount of the bill in good faith, or while the patient complies with all terms of a payment plan.
The itemized bill. On request after discharge, the facility provides a plain-language itemized statement within 7 days after discharge or the request, whichever is later; makes the records verifying it available within 10 business days of a request; and answers questions about it within 7 business days.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionA hospital can send a bill to collections the day it is overdue | What the law actually doesNot before the eligibility check, an itemized bill, the insurer, and 30 days after written notice |
| The assumptionA payment plan does not stop a lawsuit | What the law actually doesNo extraordinary collection action while the plan's terms are kept |
Insurance appeals, surprise billing rules and the federal rules for nonprofit hospitals are not all on this page. Whether a particular bill qualifies, or a particular collection step was allowed, is a question for a licensed Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Fla. Stat. 395.3011 — Billing and collection activities
- Fla. Stat. 395.301 — Price transparency; itemized patient statement or bill
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.