Paid Medical Debt

[Anonymous]

I received a bill from a CA for 190, I paid the OC immediately. 6 months later the bill is on my credit report. Says original amount was 190. I paid 190 to the OC, but the CRA line says I owe 49 dollars. THe 49 is apparently a fee from the CA. I was never sent a bill about the 49 dollars, it is not part of the medical bill. IS this legal to put a line on my credit report for a amount I was never billed for. I want to try Hippa to have it removed, should I just pay the 49 and see if it is removed from my credit report them do the hippa if it is not removed from the CRA??? Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[llecs]

I would contact the OC to see if they are the ones telling the CA you still owe $49. Sometimes bills can get lost and they can report it after the fact.

If you definitely know after talking to the OC that the $49 is not theirs and the CA admits to the $49 as a fee, then get a written statement from the CA as to what the $49 is for. In some states, it is illegal to charge a collection fee. The FDCPA also has a mention that fees to collect money are illegal. On that info alone you can draft a letter to them pointing out their folly and press to get it removed, though you really need to communicate with the OC first. Per the CA, I'd probably start with a DV.

[Anonymous]

I spoke to the OC they said that i had to talk to the CA. the CA admitted that the charge was for fees. NJ does not have any laws reguarding fair collection practices so this sits under the federal law. The CA is ic systems they do this to a lot of people. I guess i will try a letter to them about the Fee not being legal i dont know where to start that though so any help would be appreciated.

Should i send them a DV first to get the fee written down so i have proof, i already have proof the bill from the oc was 190. The CA even has on my credit report that the amount was 190. But i still owe 49 even though i paid the OC 190. They are reporting wrong info and they know it. The lied to me and told me they had my conversations with them taped. I asked to hear these conversations and they immediatley back off. they want to charge me a 30% fee that cant be legal.

[Anonymous]

Item removed from TU. I sent the pre hippa letter to the CRAs and TU responded in 10 days with a item was deleted letter. HIPPA process works. I will update the thread with EQ and EX results as i understand that EQ is a bit difficult to get items removed.