topic Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report in Recovering from Medical Debt

Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:00:05 GMT

Is the med collection on your reports? Yes, on my husbands. Long story short, doctor's office mistyped our address/number and we never got a bill. We didn't know we owed anything until the $30 or so charge went to collections.

Is it paid or unpaid? Paid last year when CA called

If paid, who did you pay, the OC (original creditor: doctor, dentist, hospital, etc.) or the CA (collection agency)? I believe the original doctor's office, but I can check

If unpaid, do you have the money to pay it off in full? NA

Do you remember the date(s) of treatment? Approx

Have you ever disputed the med collection? If yes, when and how? Only over the phone when we talked to the CA and doctor's office to figure out what was going on.

If you did dispute the collection, is it currently marked as "disputed and/or verified" on your report(s)?

Don't have the report it front of me, but I don't believe so.

Have you ever requested debt validation from the CA? ? I guess so if you count that we did verify we owed the debt...just didnt' know about it.

The steps you have already taken and when. Paid balance and was hoping it wouldn't hit credit reports...we should have started this process when we paid, i know.

The letter(s) you have written: to whom, when and the result(s) from the letter(s). None yet

This is showing up on Equifax, not sure about the others yet. Husband does have a couple of other negative items on report...a couple late payments from a few years ago and a judgement for a CC that should be coming off soon....this was around 7-8 years ago.

We had really been working to rebuild his credit after some bad mistakes in the past and now this.

I assume we start with the opt out process and the first HIPPA letter? What do we say in the letter since we know about it and paid it? Do we explain that we didn't know about the bill until it went to collections, paid it immediately when we found out, and we'd like to have it removed from the credit reports?

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:59:19 GMT

Use the exact wording on all the HIPAA letters. Yes start with Opt-out.

Judgments remain on your CR 7 years from the date filed.

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:06:11 GMT

Thanks for the reply. I just checked and the only collection/judgement is the medical one. The others have all come off since it has been over 7 years. The only other negatives are a couple late payments.

So I think we both did the first opt out online when that first came out so we'd stop getting so many offers, but I will check agian.

Do we have to do the second opt out before we do the HIPPA letter? We're really trying to get this done as quickly as possible and I'd rather send the letter out and then do the opt out forms.

As for the letter, we need to copy the text as is and insert person information? even though we know what the acocunt is and the letter text says " no knowledge of the account".

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:10:48 GMT

Also, just found out from my husband that he paid the collection agency...he talked to the CA and the doctor's office both and the doctor's office told him to pay the CA.

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:40:17 GMT

You would opt out with both CRAs and Creditors (in good standing). This is for your protection so that your info. is not past on. HIPAA does not say that you must do this.

You can call the CRAs to opt-out the phone # is listed under step # 1. You can mail the disputes at the same time.

Remember that medical collections are handled different from other collections. Others you would not dispute first (or should not). And the wording may be different.

The CRAs need to complete the disputes before you can move on.

As for the letter, we need to copy the text as is and insert person information? even though we know what the acocunt is and the letter text says " no knowledge of the account". CORRECT!

Message Edited by HappyDays on 05-14-2009 04:36 PM

Message Edited by HappyDays on 05-14-2009 04:40 PM

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:44:55 GMT

Thanks again.

Will it matter that we paid the collection agency and not the doctor's office?

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

Anonymous — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:22:28 GMT

Also, my husband is hoping to get an auto loan soon, but this medical collection is bringin his score down.

Will this process hurt his score even more?

Is this our best option in this case? The CA told us to write a letter to the CRAs. I'm sorry...it just seems like to me the OC or CA should be taking care of this for us since it was never our fault that it went to collections.

Re: Paid collection last year- how to repair credit report

fused — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:33:01 GMT

Apping for credit and fixing credit do not mix. Its one or the other. If you can put off the auto purchase, I would use the HIPAA letter process.