HIPAA Process Issues

[Anonymous]

Hi All. I realize that I did this wrong and am trying to learn the error of my ways.

I have a few old (1 year) paid medical collections on my credit report through Equifax. I sent a goodwill letter to the CA, for good will and gently mentioning HIPAA. I received a reject letter.

I filed a dispute online citing HIPAA briefly. I had previously opted out and am now reading, per WhyChat, that the online dispute negated the opt out.

Obviously I need to wait for the dispute process to complete. What are my options after that>

[Schoolbuskid]

Yea you need to wait until disputes are finished...Then i believe whychats says to wait even more before starting the process again.

We have seen success from both the hipaa process and sending DV/PFD. But your mileage may vary.

Who is the CA?

[Anonymous]

They are local attorney's/collection agencies.

I guess I will have to sit on my hands and wait. Bleh.

Thanks.

[rckstrscott]

If you paid the collection agency I thought you were unable to use the HIPPA approach. I thought you had to deal with the original creditor for there to be a HIPPA violation..

-scott

[Anonymous]

Maybe I am not understanding then.

I thought the point was that once they were paid per HIPPA there was no longer a reason for them to be reported regardless.

Should I have contacted the OC to have them contact the CA to delete the files? I use the OC on a regular basis (a local hospital) if that makes a diff.

[rckstrscott]

Well hindsight is 20/20 so you can't go back and change things now -- I handled my medical collections (ones that were not sold) with the OC directly. I agreed to pay in full, and they agreed to contact the collection company to have them remove the accounts. It worked on 3 of the 4. I am having trouble with one of them doing it, but 75 percent isn't too bad.

From my VERY LIMITED understanding of the HIPPA process, you are supposed to never even acknowledge the CA. I am just about to embark on it with the one who wouldn't remove it.. but as I said, all I know is what I have read online..

-scott

[Anonymous]

They were paid prior to my embarking on this journey. And not only that, I don't want to NOT pay a valid debt (part of the process). Just wanted to see if I could get them deleted and based on the little I have read on here it seemed HIPPA was a way to try to accomplish that.

[Schoolbuskid]

If you have paid collections then the Hipaa process is supposed to work flawlessly. You only by pass the CA when payment is due, which you pay that to the OC. You just need to do a web search for "HIPAA letter" to find resources that will help.

[Edited to remove a non-permitted link to another website.  Sorry.]

[Anonymous]

GREAT NEWS!

Well, from Equifax anyways.

They deleted the medical collections I disputed even though the CA would not.

They also deleted a paid judgment. I asked for it to be updated because it was paid and they deleted it (said to contact the county with questions so I am assuming the County authorized the delete?)

This is a step in a good direction. Wish the other 2 bureaus come back with some good news as well. I will take whatever I can get though!!

[Anonymous]

Another quick question though:

if Equifax deleted it from their files, will it show back up if the county puts through a report that it has been paid?