Medical Collection

[donkort]

Hello Everyone,

I just received a letter stating I have a $50 medical collection.  It stated I have 30 days for which to dispute that the debt is mine.  My question is:  if I pay the $50 to the OP before the 30 days is up, will the OP report this payment to the collection agency, resulting in the collection agency not reporting the debt to any credit bureau? 

Thanks for any responses. 

[llecs]

2 trains of thought:

1) follow HIPAA by first paying the OC (not the CA). They may report, they might not, but you can follow the HIPAA process if they did.

2) Send a DV to the CA to get your DV in by the required time and then pay the OC. They probably won't report either way.

[donkort]

Thanks very much.

[donkort]

Thanks for the excellent advice so far.

I just paid the OC.  Do I contact the collection agency informing them I paid it?

I forgot to mention:  it hasn't been reported to the credit bureaus yet.

[llecs]

If you opt to contact the CA, then do so via a DV letter and send the letter as late as possible, all the while sending it within the 30 days from the date of their dunning letter.

[donkort]

To tell you the truth, I'd rather not contact the CA if at all possible.  I'm hoping the CA will, within the 30 daysl see that I have paid the debt and not report me as a result.  Could that possibly happen?

[llecs]

You can do that too and not all CAs report, balance or no balance.

I do not trust any CA. A DV would at least insure my rights under the FDCPA and would delay their reporting if they were adamant in reporting, and a few do report after paying an OC.

If you don't want to contact the CA, then focus on the OC via HIPAA. You paid them and now all you have to do is to wait for the CA to report, assuming if they even did (and they probably won't).

[donkort]

Thank you very much for your advice.