What types of debt collection practices are prohibited by state and federal law?
You may not use coercion or threaten action that you will or cannot take. You may not harass, oppress, or abuse a patient, for example: calling between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. or at an unusual place or unreasonable frequency, not disclosing the business or company that the person collecting the debt represents, calling at work if you have been instructed not to do so, or using profane or obscene language. You may not notify other people about the debt, including employers or family members (except for spouses or parents of minors), or use communications, such as postcards, that would ordinarily be seen by any other person if it displays information about the alleged claim (exceptions include: contacting a third party one time for the sole purpose of locating the patient, without mentioning that the person owes a debt, or if you have a court judgment or the written consent of the patient to talk to others). You may not contact the person directly, or any other third party, after you know that
