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Medical Debt Collection Question

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Anonymous
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Medical Debt Collection Question

Just like all of us, I'm trying to work on my credit !!   In signing up for score watch today and looking at my credit report, I have some questions on medical collections. 
 
What do these dates mean?   (assigned, reported, active)

Medical collection 60.00
Date assigned - 6/04
Date reported - 12/04
date last active - 6/06
 
Medical Collection - 399.00
Date assigned - 6/06
Date Reported - 6/08
Date Last Active - 04/03
 
Medical Collection - 52.00
Date assigned 3/08
Date Reported - 06/08
Date Last Active - 08/06
 
What do these dates mean and what do they effect?   Since these are my collections, should I go ahead and send a PFD?   These are obviously with a Collection Agency and not with the original provider, so what is the best way to handle these?
 
Also - how about the the 399.00 one?   Date last active is 04/03 ....I thought in Florida these are removed after 4 years?  
Message 1 of 10
9 REPLIES 9
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

Congrats on your new house! Search and read the thread "How to handle medical collections"
Message 2 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

I read that, but I'm still confused by the dates.
 
Is the date last active the date of service?    
 
I can't in florida when these should come off my credit report
Message 3 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

yes the DOLA is the date of service
Message 4 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

If that's the case, shouldn't the collections from 04/03 and 06/03 (date last active) be removed from my reports by now?
 
Or is the SOL different from having them removed from your credit reports?
 
I read in Florida the SOL is 5 years
Message 5 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question



thesedays wrote:
If that's the case, shouldn't the collections from 04/03 and 06/03 (date last active) be removed from my reports by now?
 
Or is the SOL different from having them removed from your credit reports?
 
I read in Florida the SOL is 5 years


SOL has nothing to do with the length of time a collection can report.  SOL has only to do with whether they can sue you on the debt.  (It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's what it is in a nutshell.)
 
The credit reporting time period for collection accounts is 7 to 7.5 years from DOFD (or DOLA on EQ).  I would expect the collection from 04/03 to drop off in mid to late 2010.
 
I don't see the one from 06/03 that you mentioned.


Message Edited by cheddar on 07-02-2008 09:00 AM
Message 6 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

Okay ...then since these ARE mine, should I just PFD?
Message 7 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

Howdy, Thesedays! I'm in Florida, too!

Here in Fl (like most states) the CRTP is 7-7.75 years from date of final delinquency.

The "reporting date" means, AFAIK, the date the CA updated/reported the account to the CRAs.

"Date assigned" is the date the collections agency either bought the account or was assigned the account by the original creditor.

Most important in your situation (IMO) is the SoL. Here in FL, for medical bills, it's 5 years (4 years for open/revolving accounts like credit cards). Though sometimes, I've heard that medical bills fall under the 4 year "catch all" SoL.

Being out of SoL gives you leverage in dealing with the CAs. Since they can't legally sue you (they CAN sue, but if you appear in court -- and you MUST or they'll win by default -- they'll lose due to SoL being expired. Essentially, the court tells them that they've lost their "bite at the apple.") the only way they'll get their $$ is if they agree to allow you to pay for deletion of the tradeline.

SoL is determined by the date of last activity. So if you defaulted on the debt in 2/02 it would be out of SoL in 2/06. HOWEVER, if you made a payment, say, in 3/05, that would reset the SoL clock and the SoL wouldn't expire until 3/09.

DID you make a payment on the first collection (the one for $60)?? That's what it's looking like ... in that case, with that one, you're still in SoL, so they can still sue you. Ditto with the $52. It looks like the SoL has expired on the $399 one, though.

As to how to handle it, I'm mot well versed in the whole HIPPA thing. Ilecs is awesome on that topic, as is SideWinder. Hopefully, they'll wander in and chime in on the topic.

I THINK though, that you can DV the oldest (the $399) on the off chance that the CA won't be able to validate due to it's being so old. If they can't validate, they have to remove the TL with the CRAs.

With the others, I wouldn't offer a PFD right off the bat because you have no leverage in "forcing" them to accept it (since they can still sue -- they have nothing to gain, really, from allowing you to PFD). Again, hopefully, SW or Ilecs will chime in. Listen to them -- they are the BEST!! Ivyalmighty might wander in, too. She's a butt-kicker, too!!
Message 8 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question

Thanks Wonderin !!
 
I have not made any payments on any of these accounts as I did not know about them until recently.  The only payments they would have received were what my insurance paid out to them from the original bill.
Message 9 of 10
Anonymous
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Re: Medical Debt Collection Question



@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks Wonderin !!
 
I have not made any payments on any of these accounts as I did not know about them until recently.  The only payments they would have received were what my insurance paid out to them from the original bill.





Okay, go call your insurance company NOW and find out when they paid the bill!! I know of very few insurance companies that pay a medical bill so long after it was incurred. According to the CA, we're talking TWO YEARS!!!

if they did pay it in '06, then they did, effectively, IMO, extend your SoL. That debt won't be out of SoL for another 2 years at the least. Smiley Sad

CALL you insurance company and get your "statement" on that account in WRITING. You may need it to prove that the CA reaged your account. Insurance companies (while they may make payments in their own sweet time) usually don't take TWO YEARS to pay a bill.

And since the debt was ASSIGNED to the CA in '06, I doubt that's the date you actually incurred the debt. Can you find out the date of service?
Message 10 of 10
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