Frustrated!

[Anonymous]

Like almost everyone else here, I'm trying to rebuild my credit.  I had four returned checks (all for doctor/prescription co-pays) from 2003/2004 that were being held/collected by Instachek.  When I began my repair, these checks/collections were showing on EX ONLY.  On April 1, I paid off two, received receipts and promptly sent a dispute letter with copies of the receipts to EX - those two were deleted immediately (YEA!).  In late April, I paid the other two - and again, sent the info to EX for deletion.  I'm currently waiting on their response at this time.

BUT, here's my problem - as of this morning when I pulled my EQ FICO scores - ALL FOUR CHECKS are now showing up on that bureau as collections!  This has cause a 51 point drop smileymad: in my EQ FICO score from just two weeks ago!  I'M FURIOUS to say the least.  I've already done a dispute letter w/the bureau (mailed today), but I need to know if these would fall under the HIPPA laws for deletion b/c they were medically related?

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800FICOwannabe

05/04/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 660, TU - 647
04/21/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 711, TU - 642
02/28/09 - updated Tri-Merge: EQ - 699, EX - 651, TU - 571
08/01/08 - starting scores (Tri-Merge Morgtage Enhanced): EQ - 607, EX - 556, TU - 534

[fused]

Are you sure these med collections are not your TU report? Have you read the HIPAA threads pinned at the top of this forum?

[Anonymous]

No, these are not on my TU report.  They were originally on EX only, then after PIF, they started reporting on EQ!    AND, to top it off - the last time they reported (before I contacted them and made payment) was between July 2003 and November 2004!  The credit repair agency that I contracted with validated the debt before I offered to PIF.  I attempted to do a PFD, but they refused - said that checks were treated differently than other accounts (that's a whole other sore subject).   Anyway, this is the response that Instachek sent via email today regarding the new reporting:

"The updates leave this office during the last week of every month (by disk format) and we can only send the information one of two ways:  either paid or collection.  Your dispute was don via internet on 4-13-09 which means when we sent the response to delete the accounts they probably went right back on from the disk that was sent at the end of the month.  Unfortunately you will have to dispute it on line again so that I can again send the deletion back to them.  It seems as though the dispute (before the disk is sent) does not over-ride the information we are allowed to send by disk."

There response looks as though they will delete these items, but I can't be too sure.  Any steps that I could take using the HIPAA laws in case they don't?

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800FICOwannabe
05/04/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 660, TU - 647
04/21/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 711, TU - 642
02/28/09 - updated Tri-Merge: EQ - 699, EX - 651, TU - 571
09/01/08 - starting scores (Tri-Merge Morgtage Enhanced):
EQ - 607, EX - 556, TU - 534

[Anonymous]

Please know that the OC validated the debt directly w/me (at the request of the credit repair agency).  I didn't find this forum until AFTER I'd already made payment directly to the CA for these debts.  Do the HIPAA laws still apply?

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800FICOwannabe
05/04/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 660, TU - 647
04/21/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 711, TU - 642
02/28/09 - updated Tri-Merge: EQ - 699, EX - 651, TU - 571
09/01/08 - starting scores (Tri-Merge Morgtage Enhanced):
EQ - 607, EX - 556, TU - 534

[fused]

I don't see any reason why HIPAA doesn't apply.

[Anonymous]

Great - just so that I don't overly screw this up, could you lay out the steps I should take next, i.e., who to contact, what to tell them, etc.  I'd like to get these permently removed as soon as possible.

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800FICOwannabe
05/04/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 660, TU - 647
04/21/09 - FICO scores: EQ - 711, TU - 642
02/28/09 - updated Tri-Merge: EQ - 699, EX - 651, TU - 571
09/01/08 - starting scores (Tri-Merge Morgtage Enhanced):
EQ - 607, EX - 556, TU - 534

[fused]

The HIPAA steps are in the thread below.

The HIPAA Letter Process