Does this work for th HIPPA Process?

[newoutlook]

 

I think I may have messed this one up. I misread the post and sent a DV to the CRA and the CA. Stallings Financial is reporting $175.00 collections for med bill. I have been following the instructions Fused posted on handling medical collections and I have sent them a DV letter and got the GC back. I recently stumbled across a post from another credit repair forum where one the moderators suggested doing the following as part of the DV process.

 

Posted by the moderator of that site:

 The trick of the dv is the one two punch that you can gig them on. Here is a description of it:
1. Send dv letter certified return mail.
2. Once you receive green card back, send a written dispute to the credit bureau        certified mail.
3. If they verify without validation, they are in violation of federal law.
4. By initiating this dispute process, you also nail them down to a 30-45 day time      limit to validate since they cannot verify without validating.
5. Here is a worst case scenario if you happen to run across a good law abiding agency. They will mark the account in dispute in response to your credit bureau dispute. Now they can take their time validating account. If they cannot validate the account, then it must be removed from the bureau reports. 

Does this work  and  would it be the same in the HIPPA process?

[Anonymous]

Medical debt is different from other debt!!  The HIPAA process is for paid medical debt only and must be followed from the beginning!!!   You need a paper trail!  You should have no contact with the CA reporting.

Other reporting by a CA (non-med) YES  you can use the 1-2 punch. You need to check your SOL before doing anything. If within SOL they might file a lawsuit. So always be ready to PIF if SOL has not past.

A DV is always sent CMRRR

A CA must answer a DV in 30 days or they must stop reporting until they do validate (to you)

A CA never validates to the CRAs.

The reporting law is also different for medical. The CRA is suppose to contact the OC to verify. They do not always do this.

[newoutlook]

Thanks Happy Days. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do next?

[fused]

The 1-2 punch should never be used with med collections. Is your collection marked as in dispute on your report(s)?

[newoutlook]

Fused as of today it is not. I am  now clear that the 1 2 punch does not apply for medical debt. 

[fused]

Aside from this one unpaid med collection, are your reports free and clear of major derogs? And, I assume you can pay this debt off in full if you have to?

[newoutlook]

Fused, no I have one other medical bill and a few other collection accounts from 2 CO CC's and some others that I PFD and should be coming off in the next few days. All of my collections are within SOL. Total about $1,200.00. I have the money to PIF on all of them. I am also negotiating with some of them.

[fused]

Ok! Here are the first few steps in the HIPAA process.

Step #1: Opt Out of two things: Your Credit Reports and All Creditors. The first one ensures that the CRAs will not sell your personal data to anyone else (haha…no more data mining). The second one will prevent JDBs (and CAs) from buying and selling bogus collections.

Use this link to opt-out of your credit reports

OPT-OUT CREDIT REPORTS (or call 1.888.567.8688)

Use this link to opt-out from all of your CURRENT creditors that you're in GOOD standing with. Do not attempt to opt-out with any CAs or current creditors that you're in BAD standing with (i.e. charge-offs, or currently late).

OPT-OUT ALL CREDITORS

Step #2: Also, be sure to update your personal information with the CRA's before attempting to reestablish your credit.

Step #3: 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 collection is deleted, you're finished.

PRE-HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER

[newoutlook]

Thanks Fused, I will keep you posted!

[fused]

No problem, good luck!