New to this site, need help, advice.. medical debts...

[Anonymous]

Wow, i found this site while searching what seems like the net over trying to find information on getting my cs in control. i have been reading the post and i want to say 1st off.. all of you ROCK! with the support and encouragement you send out to each and everyone.. its great!!

Now.. I need help, advice, guidance... whatever can be sent to me..

due to divorce  and loss of health insurance and lack of health insurance for long time and major health issues, i have large medical collections... i think i may still have a charged off cc and a paid repo from 7 years or 5 years ago.. i have a joint account on a truck and a small cc that are both current and great.. but my score is like 484... and i know a couple of car dealers pulled my cr early in teh year when i was trying to get rid of my truck.. but... i am so overwhelmed by 30tho medical... what do i do, where do i start? help.. i'm living with my boyfriend now, and he has his own home but with our age differences and life still new for us together, i dont like to get to into this area with him.. i just need to start fixing me... my cr.. how??

[Tons_of_Debt]

You have only 1 CC with a low CL? What's the current CL and balance?

For the 30k in medical debt, is this just one CO, or several? What is the DOFD and SOL for each?

[Anonymous]

Wow, i am still trying to figure out all teh short words. i have one current cc, with a limit of 900, balance 800. and a joiunt auto loan gmac bal 11thou... the medical is LOTS of medical that equal up to aprox. 30.. starting back in 04, on this TUC report, i believe from my past inquirys, there are many listed over and over on all 3 CRA.

i found a paid release of tax lien from my state back in 05, this i never knew anything about and i am thinking it is my ex husbands/ joint taxes maybe?

and a judegemt that is new 08 from medical but it is listed as a civil judgement.

i know i can pay some of those small dr. bills, even old ones, but not the large ones and i'm also reading that even paying wont get the " bad off" and help my score???

I am trying to find my other reports, that show the old charge off providian.

some of the appreviations i'm new too and unsure of...

Message Edited by wyldchyld on 08-13-2008 03:44 PM

[Tons_of_Debt]

• As far as a FICO score is concerned, an paid collection is the same as an unpaid collection. You need to get the collections OFF your report entirely. If you can do some of the small ones, follow the HIPAA process:

1. Send Pre-HIPAA letter disputing the debt (only send this for the ones you can afford to PIF now) to the three CRAs. Make sure to send CMRRR
2. After you receive a response and the dispute has closed (30-35 days), take the next appropriate action. If they validate it, send the second HIPAA letter to the OC (do not communicate with a CA in regards to medical debt) with payment and the appropriate insert.

• Pay down that 800 balance ASAP!!! That's very high utilization, and is definitely hurting your score.

Message Edited by Tons_of_Debt on 08-13-2008 03:56 PM

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the information, i've been working on copying the hippaa letters and sorting out what to do first.

yes.. i am working on getting the cc down now, i had some personal debt i had to take care of with a individual and now i can focus on getting that taken care of... did not realize that the limit being close would affect my score... shesh, ya would think at my age i would know more about this...

ok, so send the letters, start with small, and IF they are not removed, then send oc letter and payment? correct?... ok, i can do that!!

is there anywhere you can get these reports with scores without all this pay here and join there sites? this one? myfico? I haven't even looked at that part of this... Thanks again, I have been trying the last 2 years to get back on top and it seems i just didn't start the right way...

[Tons_of_Debt]

I didn't realize utlization was such a big chunk either until I found these forums a few weeks ago!!

As far as the medical debt, you've got it right... send the pre-HIPAA to the CRAs, then once they come back to you send the HIPAA letter to the OC. The really important thing with the HIPAA process is to not communicate with the OC.

Unfortunately I don't know of a place that bundles them up... I do enjoy TrueCredit (for CRs) quite a bit, and ScoreWatch (for EQ scores) is pretty good as well. I will probably continue with just TrueCredit though... once you get your scores one time, the important thing is to monitor your CRs for changes. Once you see a significant amount of changes, then you can request the scores again... but you're right, it isn't cheap.

[Anonymous]

Thanks alot for the help so far. I am starting to grasp all of the what-to-do's ... when-to-do's.. the more i read these post, at least I know I am not alone in this battle.

No one told me years ago, when I was very young and married the 1st time, with credit out the ying yang, that 1 choice would end up creating such a roller coaster.. years later.. whew, but I am aiming for that new "you" kinda goal.

I am really encouraged by the one who is doing the journal.. that is a plan.!

time to head out of here for this evening and get started.. will be back tomorrow with more questions and progress.. thanks