CONFUSED WITH OPT OUT PROCESS 2 PAID MED COLLECTION HELP PLEASE

[Anonymous]

I JUST STARTED A FEW DAYS AGO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THIS HIPPA MEDICAL PROCESS AND OPTING OUT.  I GET OPTING OUT WITH THE CA.  HOWEVER IT ALSO STATES CLEARLY TO OPT OUT OF ONLY MED COLLECTIONS YOU ARE IN GOOD STANDING WITH.  I HAVE 2 PROBLEMS

1. I HAVE 2 MED COLLECTIONS THAT ARE MARKED ON MY CA AS PAID.  DO I SEND THE OPT OUT LETTER TO THEM?? 

2.  I HAVE A COLLECTION THAT ISNT MINE.  IVE GOTTEN IT DELETED 4X.  NOW ITS BACK AGAIN.  ILL GET IT OFF AGAIN EVENTUALLY, BUT  IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE SURE THIS DEBT ISNT SOLD AGAIN.  DOES OPTING OUT WITH THE CA PREVENT THAT? 

UNTIL I FEEL LIKE I FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS 2ND OPT OUT PROCESS IM  NOT SENDING OUT ANY OPT OUT LETTERS TO ANYONE. I DONT REALLY GET THE 2ND PART OF OPTING OUT. 

CAN ANYONE HELP ME PLEASE.

[fused]

1.) NO! You NEVER opt-out with creditors who are reporting a med collection or ANY collection on your reports. You only opt-out with the creditors you are in good standing with. Opting-out with creditors helps prevent future collections, rather they be med collections or non-med collections.

2.) Yes, in most cases.

[Anonymous]

Ok thanks for clearing up the opt out process with CA.  Doing That should help me a lot.  2 collections have been deleted and reappeared 4x. now.  ok that should solve that mystery.  I hate to say this but im even more confused about opting out with creditors. 

below is what recovering from medical debt thread says to do. 

The reporting CA must prove that the debt is valid and that they have a business purpose to report your collection. If the collection is reporting inaccurately (not yours), or reporting as paid, the collection must be deleted. Why? In the case of a paid collection being reported by a CA, since the debt has been paid, HIPAA says the CA has completed their task as the business associate of the OC (covered entity under HIPAA), and they no longer have a business purpose to your PHI (protected health information). It is a violation of HIPAA if an invalid collection is on your credit reports. Please take note that unpaid collections can be reported by CAs because they are a business associate of the OC, and they have a business purpose to your protected health information because their task has not been complete.

I paid these collections by phone thinking when i did a DV since they had their money they wouldnt waste their time therefore, resulting in a deletion.  WRONG!  they verified it.   

1.  If CR is reporting these med collections as paid why would I not opt out. Am i NOT in good standing with     

     them? 

2.  Wouldnt that conclude our business association?      You cant opt out with bad collections but you should   

     with good standing creditors. 

3.  Why would you opt out with good standing creditors.  if your in good standing who cares.  how does  

     that help you?   

i hate to be such a pain, but its still not making logical sense to me? 

[fused]

1.) There is no reason to opt out with a CA, your debt is already in the hands of a collector. Its too late.

2.) Opting out with creditors in good standing is ALSO a preventive measure in the event you default in the future.

3.) Same as #2.

[Anonymous]

ok thanks fused.

I opted out with the CRA on 3/17/09. and in the mean time i had disputed another UNPAID Medical Collection. (Before i knew about the opt-out and HIPPA process).  Today (date on the report is 3/30) i got my EQ Report and they verified my 1 UNPAID medical Collection, but not only that 2 MORE MED COLLECTIONS FROM A HOSPITAL FROM 2005 ARE ON THERE?    How did that happen?  opting out of the CRA is as far as I have gotten so far.

So now i have

2 PAID MED COLLECTIONS: 

3 UNPAID MED COLLECTIONS I dont want to pay these as they are not mine.

  Just so i dont make ANY mistakes which letter do i use for the paid and upaid.  

[fused]

So, you have opted-out with the CRAs, what about your creditors and updating your addresses? How do you know the 3 unpaid med collections are not yours, not that I'm doubting you? How old are these 5 collections?

[Anonymous]

I opted out with CRA's via email and phone on march 17, 2009. 

Current address is up to date and just opted out with creditors this week.  (Although i still dont get why that step is so important. I only have astudent loan and car paymen.  if im ever late does that prevent them from reporting or selling my collection??  thats the only benefit i see from that step. 

2 unpaid collections are NOT mine and from 11/2005. 6 months ago EQ had my ss number listed wrong by 1 number. i had to send them copy of my ss card 2x.   

2 that are paid were mine and from 11/21/2008 and i paid them right away, without pfd, I didnt know what i was doing back then. 

1 is for 29.00 and it is unpaid and mine. it is only a month old.  It is for labs. There was a mix up with my insurance so  I called the hospital thought I had it all straightened out with my insurance company and the hospital.  However, the hospital neglected to tell me that the lab wasnt affiliated with the hospital.  They didnt bill my insurance and when i spoke with someone about it to explain this is just an error he was very rude and said its to late, so here i have this unpaid 29.00 bill.

 thanks for your help.  once i get those 1st letters out i think i will have a more clear understanding.  i dont want to make any mistakes.

[fused]

This is the next step.

Send the pre-HIPAA dispute letter to the CRA ('s) CM (no RR, this is the only letter in the HIPAA process where you will not send it CMRRR) and wait up to 35 days for the results of the their investigation(s). Be sure to handwrite this letter (and the envelop too) using personalized stationary and teal blue ink. If your med collections are deleted, you're finished. If not, post again in this thread for more advice. Good luck!

PRE-HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER

[Anonymous]

ok i thought thats what was next.  just a little nervous.  ill use the stationery and teal ink so it cant be electronically read.  thanks a bunch and ill keep you informed.

[fused]

Best of luck to you!