[Final Update] Medical Bill in Collections, can OC recall?

[Anonymous]

Final Update: H&H followed through on their verbally-confirmed policy to remove the record after payment.  It required calling them back to get them to actually do so.

Last month, a CA posted a record on my report for a medical bill from a year ago.  It was an oversight on my part that I didn't pay it, it's only $500.  I could pay in full to the CA or the OC right now.  I'm just trying to find the right way to pay such that the CA will remove the record.  I've read that if I can get the OC to recall the debt, then the CA must remove their record.  Is that true?  The CA is Harris & Harris, who seem big enough that I'm skeptical that they'd be receptive to a PFD agreement.  I don't want to jump the gun paying one of these entities when I could have paid the other and had the record removed.

[blindambition]

This is a YMMV, but yes you can ask OC to recall before dealing with CA. Good luck.
If recalled, CA must remove.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Last month, a CA posted a record on my report for a medical bill from a year ago.  It was an oversight on my part that I didn't pay it, it's only $500.  I could pay in full to the CA or the OC right now.  I'm just trying to find the right way to pay such that the CA will remove the record.  I've read that if I can get the OC to recall the debt, then the CA must remove their record.  Is that true?  The CA is Harris & Harris, who seem big enough that I'm skeptical that they'd be receptive to a PFD agreement.  I don't want to jump the gun paying one of these entities when I could have paid the other and had the record removed.

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Several of the largest CAs do PFD as a matter of policy, as posted on their website. I often find the smaller CAs seem to be the more difficult ones to get them to accept PFD deals.

As mentioned above, YMMV if they do not have it as a policy. I would definitely search the forum to see if anyone has had success doing PFD with the CA (or even any info on that particular CA) amd also check their website (if they have one) and go from there. Even if others have not, that does not mean you will not (unless well known to refuse PFD, like Transworld, for example - I have 2 CAs with them and they are notorious for being sticklers regarding reporting).

If they do not do PFD from the info you gather, I would def try to have it recalled by the OC. Some OC's will/can not recall, and this especially happens if they no longer own the debt.

If you cannot get the CA to PFD or the OC to recall, some of the other members have excellent advice on how to handle medical debts, so hopefully they chime in.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Do you know whether they sold it or assigned to the CA?

[Anonymous]

Update: When I called the OC, they directed me to the CA.  I believe the OC still owns the debt, as I could still pay it via their website if I wanted to.  I went ahead and called the CA anyways, to see what they'd say.  Two different representatives on the phone confirmed that it's their policy to "as a courtesy" automatically delete CR records upon PIF.  I'm thinking of taking them at their word on that, knowing I still have GW and HIPPA to fall back on if they somehow don't do that.  They're a large enough CA that I don't think reps would bs policy on the phone.

I'm dealing with login issues on the CA's payment site currently, but if I'm able to pay online within the next day or so, I'll do so.  Otherwise, I'll pay on the phone.  I don't like making payments over the phone, but it's not a hill to die on for me.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Update: When I called the OC, they directed me to the CA.  I believe the OC still owns the debt, as I could still pay it via their website if I wanted to.  I went ahead and called the CA anyways, to see what they'd say.  Two different representatives on the phone confirmed that it's their policy to "as a courtesy" automatically delete CR records upon PIF.  I'm thinking of taking them at their word on that, knowing I still have GW and HIPPA to fall back on if they somehow don't do that.  They're a large enough CA that I don't think reps would bs policy on the phone.

I'm dealing with login issues on the CA's payment site currently, but if I'm able to pay online within the next day or so, I'll do so.  Otherwise, I'll pay on the phone.  I don't like making payments over the phone, but it's not a hill to die on for me.

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Congrats and good luck!

Please follow up with us on if they follow through with the PFD, as this would be an excellent DP for other members. This isn't a common CA I have seen asked about around here, so it is greatly appreciated.

Fingers are all crossed for you!

[Anonymous]

Shame they wouldn’t do it for a reduced amount many do and still delete.

but it's definitely a win!

[Anonymous]

I paid the CA in September, and gave them all of October to process and remove the record, as they said they would.  In the first week of November, I noticed they hadn't removed the record and the record had even been updated with a new status date that it still hadn't been paid.  So that pissed me off and I called them, and they said to give them a week to get it sorted.  I gave them a week and checked and now the record's been completely removed, so that's good.  I'm really glad I'm able to get credit reports free on a weekly basis, because it's made it a lot easier to confirm what's going on.