@Anonymous wrote:A few months ago, a medical bill (about $400) was sent to collections as the company was unwilling to take my payments in installments (I could afford about $75-100 a month at the time due to other medical related expenses that hit all at one time) I received the notice from collections and was paying down the bill as quickly as possible and was just about to write the final payment check this week when I got a notice that from credit alerts that there was a new collections on my profile.
My credit was fairly decent (for my age, accounts, etc) as of a week ago, no collections, 1 late (35 days) payment from a CC (almost 1.5 yrs ago) during a time when my husband had passed away and I legitimately forgot to pay the bill and the rest of my accounts in good standing. The collections dropped my score 50+ points! It does show that it has been paid down and the last/final payment due is $138. I don't dispute the validity of the collection and was paying it down as quick as I could. I've never had a collection so I just assumed that since I was paying it off, then it wouldn't show up on my credit report. My mistake! I didn't dispute the initial collections letter with the company or enter into any written or verbal contract with them that I would pay XX amount each XX, I just started paying it off as it is a valid bill.
Now, I'm one check away from paying it off and wondering if it is too late to request some kind of pay for delete or something so this doesn't negatively harm my credit going further. I was working on building my credit higher as I was planning on moving within 6 months and wanted to have good scores and now it has created a huge impact.
Any advice before I call the collections company?
Here is the normal steps to deal with a collection but you are past this already. Your only option at this point is to try and negotiate the deletion before making the final payment. If they refuse you can always begin a GW letter campaign once its updated to paid status.
For unpaid medical debt that is reporting on your CR:
1. Call the OC and see if you qualify for Charity Care
2. If not then ask that they recall the collection in exchange for full payment
3. Send the reporting CA a PFD offer
4. Google the HIPAA Process and contact its creator for help
