Sorry for constantly posting, I just get so confused with there being so much information and different ways to get this done with some not being beneficial to others if they don't work out. This is going to be a long one, so please bear with me as I hope it to be my final post in regards to this collections on my CRs(will only have 1 collection left, and a paid collection that I hope to GW. thanks everyone for allllllllllllll of the help and information. I truly do appreciate it)
In 2013 I went to an emergency room. They tried to bill my insurance, but the insurance didn't pay it because I had to sign some form for insurance. they claimed this form was mailed to me, of course I never received it. but they claimed they couldn't handle my bills until the form was filled out which is odd, given they did pay bill prior to and after this one without issue. Any way. I finally got them to pay the bill. Bill amount was $840, they paid $640(I have a copay of $200). The insurance company has mailed me a claims summary detailing this information also indicating I only owe the remaining $200 to the hospital. I got this summary a month ago. Ever since the insurance company paid the bill, the collection agency updated it to reflect a payment, but somehow, my amount owed is still $429(collection company had my bill up to about $1100 with interest Im guessing. Now, to the question what would be my best route to get this collection deleted off of my credit reports.
1. Should I contact the hospital and pay the $200 copay still owed(credit report shows $429, but given the original bill was about $840, and insurance paid its share finally after hassling them for months in the amount of $644 what should leave me with $200 copay if going off the original hospital bill) and ask for the hospital to recall the debt from collections and get this in writing before paying
2. contact the Collection agency with the proof of it being paid(they already know this) and trying to get in writing a pay for delete by paying only the remaining $200 I should be responsible for?
3. Should I somehow go with the Hippa process(I still need to do more research on this as I know it can't be discussed here)
4. Valued member here 'RobertEG' made a post on another post of mine stating
The CRAs recently, as a result of a 2015 consent agreement with the office of the AGs of several states, implemented a "National Consumer Assistance Plan" which, in part, included their agreement and new policy to delete any collection reported on medical debt if the debt is paid by a medical insuror.
You could assert that the principal amount of the debt was paid by a medical insuror, and make a request to the CRA that they remove the collection under their National Consumer Assistance Plan. Their policy statement does not explicitly state if paid by insuror means the principal debt only, or includes the entire asserted debt.
I would assume that deletion would only apply to payment of the entire debt, but it would not hurt to make the request.
Payment of the principal balance by the insuror could arguably mean that the asserted additional charges were not proper, and should not apply.
I currently know no info about this and would have to do the research, I'm guessing I would simply send letters to all 3 credit bureus directly with proof of the insurance payment. Do I mention that I will pay the copay? Do I pay the hospital or the collection agency the copay before sending off these letters? or do I not worry about copay and they should simply delete it since insurance was in process(has already done so) of taking care of the majority of the bill. Not exactly sure how this would work out
EDITED to add: its currently only showing this collection on experian, but I don't recall if it was originally on any other bureaus before
