Collections on Medical Debt?

[Anonymous]

Hey all, thanks in advance for any help with this mess.

In the middle of trying to buy a house and got a collections notice in the mail last night. It has three individual accounts they are attempting to collect for medical bills for my kids - one for something I had legitimately forgotten about, and two that I never knew about and was never billed for. I've already contacted the medical offices themselves, and the two that I have no knowledge of say they don't show anything was referred to collections. At all. No outstanding balances, no nothing. I'm not inclined to pay for something I wasn't billed for and have know knowledge of.

So, how do I approach the collection agency about this? I'll pay off and clear up the one I forgot to pay ($233), but I'm not taking responsibility for the other two ($60). Is it even worth the fight? I don't even know how to approach this. Thank you!

[mycreditscoreisfair]

I'm no medical collections expert, but there is a lot of good advice specifically about those in other threads on this forum.

Me personally, I would just pay it and move on. $60 is a small price to pay to get rid of something that could potentially become a gigantic issue for you. I'm assuming it's not on your credit report, yet, and paying it should/will prevent that from happening.

Otherwise, it really depends on how much time and effort you want to spend tracking down what the $60 is for and proving you don't actually owe it.

[ChiknNuggz]

Ive paid my fair share of medial bills in the past and ive probably paid some small amounts that were not even mine.  My advise is if they are only $60, hell just pay em and be done bud specially since you are in the processof purchasing a house. Just pay em and put it behind ya.

[gdale6]

Mortgage pulls always bring out the bottom feeders... I would check with your lender to see if you have to pay them or not in order to close, some ignore medical collections. Here are the normal steps to deal with these:

1. Call the OC and see if insurance can be billed, (or-rebilled), collections ultimately paid by insurance get removed per new rules that came from CRAs settlement with 22 state AGs. If not then
2. see if you qualify for Charity Care, if not then
3. ask that they recall the collection in exchange for full payment
4. Send the reporting CA a PFD offer
5. Google the HIPAA Process and contact its creator for help, this process cannot be discussed in any forum of myFico.

[Anonymous]

The $60, I think you can request proof validating what the account is that went to Collections.

I had a Medical Bill in Collections that was a PITB rigmoral when they didn't properly bill my VA Insurance. Once finally corrected, the employee sent it in by mail not the usual electronic submission. When that's the case, they can literally take over 2 years to process and pay vs a matter of 1-3 months when submitted electronically.

I had to spend ages on the phone with the VA and then they verified it had been paid 2 years ago. I got the documentation. Had to make several phone calls. Finally, the Collections Agency recognized it was wrong and removed it from all 3 reports.

If the $60 is completely erroneous, just paying it off, the ding will remain on your Credit Report. Getting to remove if wrong is best, ideal. If not, yet, request removal if paid before paying. Then $60 is just $60 and manageable to get paid off.

[RobertEG]

What was the date of initial delinquency on the debt?

Medical collections are precluded from consumer credit reports until after 180 days from DOFD'

Additionally, medical collections must be removed from your credit report by the CRA if the debt is ultimately paid via insurance.

Were you insured when the debt occured?