1. Medical debt expires after a certain amount of time.
The statute of limitations on medical debt varies from state to state, but collectors can't sue debtors once the statute of limitations has expired.
2. If you're being reached by a collection agency or other third party, always ask for a hard copy of your original invoice by mail.
If the collection agency isn't able to provide a hard copy of the original invoice for the charges owed, they don't have legitimate authority to collect on the debt.
3. If a debt collector is contacting you outside of normal business hours, report them to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
It's illegal for debt collectors to contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and violations can be reported to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
4. It never hurts — and can even help — to be kind and courteous to your debt collector.
Burns explains why it's important to answer the phone when collectors call, and why it can pay to be nice.
