Hello, everyone. I know this may seem like a small amount, but it's created a huge problem for me. I pulled my FICO score in the middle of summer, 2006 and it was 750. In the summer of 2007, I applied for private student loans and was denied due to a medical collections item for $335.00. After some investigation, I found it was an error in billing from 2005 by Mayo Clinic billing for a visit to the emergency room. I pulled out my insurance forms and sent them to the billing office for Mayo, and politely pointed out that the claim clearly states the physician was not permitted to bill for the $335.00 and the patient should request a refund if the amount was already paid. The amount owed under the contract between the insurance company and the provider was $54.98, and I paid that this year. Well, here we are four months later, it's still there. It shows the collection agency name and a zero balance. But it's killing my score. On the low end, one of the credit bureaus is now scoring me at 639. On the high end, it's 683. (BTW, no late payments.) I work as a credit card fraud investigator and I'm well aware that if someone is the victim of identity theft or account takeover which has caused a severe delinquency, we MUST recall that account from the collections agency which purchased the debt as well as correct the credit bureau. Is there a state agency to which I can complain? I want this thing OFF my bureau, not just reflecting a zero balance.
Message Edited by Jax_B on 11-30-2007 06:59 PM
