Debt validation letter for a medical debt.
If a collection agency or debt buyer contacts you about a medical bill, dispute it in writing and ask for proof. Sent within the dispute period, the letter pauses collection of the disputed amount until the collector answers.
Last updated .
When to use it
- A collection agency or debt buyer has written or called about a medical bill.
- You do not recognize the debt, the amount looks wrong, or you think insurance should have paid.
- You want the details in writing before you pay, negotiate or decide what to do.
The letter
Highlighted words in brackets are blanks. Replace each one with your own details.
[Today's date]
[Collector's name] [Collector's address for disputes]
Re: Dispute and request for verification Reference number: [Reference number on the collector's notice] Original creditor: [Hospital or provider named in the notice]
To whom it may concern,
I am writing about your notice dated [Date on the collector's notice]. I dispute this debt, and I am asking you to verify it.
Please send me:
1. The name and address of the original creditor, and the account number it used. 2. The amount you say I owe, with an itemized statement of how you reached it, including any interest, fees, payments and credits since the original bill. 3. The dates of service, and a copy of the itemized bill from the original creditor. 4. Proof that you own this debt or have the right to collect it.
Please do not collect this debt until you have sent me the verification.
Please contact me about this debt in writing only, at the address below.
This letter is not an admission that I owe this debt and is not a promise to pay it.
Sincerely,
[Your full name] [Your mailing address]
How to send it
- Check who is collecting. These rules cover collection agencies, debt buyers and collection law firms. A hospital billing office collecting its own bill in its own name is generally not covered, though state law may apply Source 1. If the bill is still with the hospital, send our itemized bill request instead.
- Find the end date of your dispute period. A collector must give you the details of the debt in its first message or within 5 days (CFPB, published January 29, 2024) after it. Those details include how to dispute and the date your dispute period ends. The dispute period lasts 30 days (CFPB, published January 29, 2024).
- Send it before that date. Use the dispute address in the notice. If you dispute in writing within the period, the collector must pause collecting the disputed amount until it answers Source 2. Past that date? You can still send the letter and ask for proof, but the collector may not have to pause collection.
- Send it in a way you can prove. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a record. Keep a copy of the letter, the notice and the receipt.
- Do not pay or promise to pay yet. If the debt is old, a payment or a written promise to pay can restart the time limit for a lawsuit in some states Source 3. Wait until you know whether the debt is right.
What happens next
The collector should send you the information you asked for, or stop collecting. Check what it sends against your own records and your explanation of benefits.
- If the debt is not yours, or the amount is wrong, write back and say so, with copies of what shows it.
- If the debt is right, you still have options. A nonprofit hospital may still accept a financial assistance application, so ask the hospital as well as the collector. You can also offer a settlement, in writing, before you pay. Our settlement offer letter has the words and the risks to check first.
- If the debt is past the time limit for a lawsuit, a collector may not sue or threaten to sue over it, though it can still ask you to pay Source 3.
- If you get court papers, respond by the date on them. A time limit only protects you if you raise it in court. A legal aid office can help.
If a collector ignores your dispute or breaks the rules, you can complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by phone at 1-855-411-2372 Source 4.
Next step
If you need help with your own situation, these can help:
LawHelp.org lists free legal aid near you.
Your state attorney general takes complaints about medical bills and debt collectors.
The CFPB complaint portal takes complaints about debt collectors and credit reports.
The hospital's financial assistance office can review your bill and tell you what it offers.
Sources
Note 1 15 U.S.C. 1692a(6) (Cornell LII). Published 2026. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Note 2 CFPB, "What information does a debt collector have to give me about a debt?". Published January 29, 2024. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Note 3 CFPB, "What is a statute of limitations on a debt?"; 12 CFR 1006.26(b). Published October 28, 2026. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Note 4 CMS, "Dispute a bill". Published October 2, 2026. Last checked November 2, 2026.
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