Greetings,
First of all, this is the best board out there for DIY credit repair, hands down. Kudos for everyone here for sharing such a wealth of information. Anyone interested in starting public Wiki with all this info please let me know. 
Okay here's my issue...I have a $192 Unpaid medical collection on my Equifax report and my goal is PIF/deletion:
Date Reported: 07/2006
Date Assigned: 03/2006
Creditor Classification: Medical/Health Care
Account Owner: Individual Account.
Original Amount Owned: $178
Date of 1 st Delinquency: 09/2005
Balance Date: 07/2006
Balance Owned: $192
Last Payment Date: N/A
Status Date: 07/2006
Status: D - Unpaid
Comments: Medical
Can I just skip the opting out, and pre-dispute letters to the CRA and head straight to sending a check CMRRR? Reason is, I don't want to wait 30 - 45 days for the CRA to tell me what I already know (that it's valid and unpaid), whereas if I go ahead and pay the OC today, then they will in turn notify the CA that it's paid. Correct? I just want to pay the OC and then dispute with the CRA for deletion of a paid medical debt. I have never had any contact with the CA nor do I intend to. I'd just rather get the thing paid now instead of doing the opt out/freezing, sending pre-dispute letter to the CRA and waiting 35 - 45 days since I can and want to just pay the OC today.
What am I risking by just paying the OC today?
Since I'm not going to contact the CA am I still retaining my HIPAA rights?
BTW - I disagree with this debt *IN PRINCIPAL*, but practically I just want it GONE!
Thanks in advance!
Thanks for your reply!
This is only derog on my Equifax report. I have an unrelated collection on my TU report, but i will deal with that issue separately via PFD.
In any case, what exactly am I gaining by filing a pre-HIPAA med dispute when I already know the answer, and I have to wait over a month?
In converse, what am I risking by going ahead and paying the OC first (*not* the CA), *then* disputing with CRA?
I'm just a little puzzled here by the need for the pre letter and waiting for a response (validated/unpaid) if I already know what my next move would be. Besides, I'm reading a couple of posts here now that indicate that by sending the pre letter that the CRAs are throwing fraud flags.
Can you please help me understand what the pitfalls are here by paying OC first in my particular case? I know you've developed the process and have all the experience and for that I'm truly gateful. Please enlighten me here as I will also be helping my friends and family in the future and referring them to this board!
Med collections are an entirely different animal than other collections. The rules and laws are different. The HIPAA letter process nearly ensures a delete if its done properly and in the right order. Sure the FCRA, FACTA and FDCPA also apply to med collections, but the HIPAA privacy act has a lot of teeth, and they're very sharp. I'll tell you what, go ahead and pay the OC and we'll see what happens. Prove me wrong
