So I started working on rebuilding my credit and paying off some old debts in June. I significantly raised my scores from low 500's to almost 600 across the board to date. Last week, I started working on the medical collections. I called the CA and asked to have a print out of all my accounts in collections. The facility uses a particular CA. There are many that I have. Each visit etc counts as a separate account. The CA was very nice, said she would call me back once she got all accounts and exactly how much I owed in order. I was planning on calling them back, because I hadn't heard nothing back from her. Today, I got alerts of a new collection account and a change in my FICO score. I looked and OMG, 8 new collections accounts were addded from the CA that I spoke with last week. My scores took an 18 point nose dive! I'm so mad, because she never called me back and let it hit my reports. Yes, I owe these debts. I have had the worst 2 years of my life, wasn't ignoring the bills intentionally....the company I worked for went bankrupt, couldn't find work, I put myself through nursing school and my daughter had major medical bills. I had to survive until I found work, so hence, the medical bills had to wait. I am now in the position to make good on my past obligations and trying to do so. I just don't know what to do now, so frustrated and upset! 
Sorry, just had to vent. I love this board and all of the positive members here. Thanks for all your help.
@sgs71 wrote:
I plan on calling tomorrow to try to work it out. I just feel so frustrated all of my hard work and good intentions to pay. I mean I knew these went into collections, I took the initiative to call and have some print out so I can make some arrangements. I was planning on paying $200 a month to have it all paid off in 5 months and instead of calling me back they just threw them out there.....feel like I woke up a sleeping giant.
Well...Now you know why we love CAs so much around here! 
Now it is time to play hard ball with them. Call them and negotiate Pay for Deletes. That means that you will pay them AFTER and only AFTER they send you a letter stating that they will delete the information from your reports once it is paid.
Please, please, please don't stop back here a couple of months from now telling us that you took their verbal word for it but now they won't delete the information! CAs can be crooks!
Unfortunately, that won't work. My husbands income would be too high. Even though it was a tight budget, we still wouldn't be considered low income. I'll fight this one way or another. I do own up to the debts and they will be paid one way or another. I do have the means now to do so, but all I'm asking is a good will break here. Thanks for all the great tips :
@jamie123 wrote:
@sgs71 wrote:Well, I did call and they are telling me that they can only update the CRA's as paid, that they can't delete....now what..
Well...At least we all know that they are liars now...Don't we?
Okay, you need to call the medical facility and try to pay the bills off that way first. Be honest and explain your situation just like you did here. Ask them if they can recall your accounts from collections and you would be happy to pay them. Just know this, they have the power to recall these accounts if they want to. You need to make sure that your sob story is powerful enough to get them to do this. Be prepared to pour it on when you make this call.
If you are successful at having the accounts recalled this would be your best and easiest way to pay off the collections. I can't say this enough, you need this phone call to be successful. Stay on the phone until they agree to recall your bills. Write down a list of questions before you make this call that you can ask them if they say no. Keep asking questions. Keep them on the line until they say yes. Keep asking them to recall the accounts. Tell them you don't want to deal with that MEAN woman at the CA. She had you in tears the last time you spoke with her. Like I said...Pour it on.
Please don't make any actual payments until you stop back here and let us know what has transpired. Once you make the first payment you are committed. As long as you owe them money you are in the driver's seat.
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
GO GET'EM!!!
Good luck!
+1 Excellent advice here.
Even if this doesn't work and the CA won't do a pay-for-delete, pay the collections anyway and google the HIPAA removal process (we are not allowed to talk about it here) and then you can contact the creator for help. Medical collections tend to be the easiest to get off your reports. Good luck and YOU CAN DO THIS!
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