cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

tag
Anonymous
Not applicable

Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

So I recently decided that there must be some way to handle the collections on my account which brought me to this forum.  I'll try to keep things short and any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Five years ago on the night before my birthday, I was hit by a drunk driver on my way home.  I was in college and used a friend's dad as my lawyer because I didn't know what else to do.  Medical bills started coming and he said that I should give all of the bills to him and not pay a penny until we settled.

 

Months later my second lawyer settled the suit and all bills were paid by my lawyer to the OCs.  Yet all of those bills that had gone to collections have been on my reports for the last five years.  

 

Can I go directly to the OCs and tell them that they need to delete this to prevent my seeking legal action against them?  Should I go to the lawyer who settled my suit and ask for his backing? See summary information below.

 

Is the med collection on your reports? YES

Is it paid or unpaid? PAID

If paid, who did you pay, the OC (original creditor: doctor, dentist, hospital, etc.) or the CA (collection agency)?OC

If unpaid, do you have the money to pay it off in full? N/A

Do you remember the date(s) of treatment?I have the dates of all treatments received.

Have you ever disputed the med collection? If yes, when and how? NO

If you did dispute the collection, is it currently marked as "disputed and/or verified" on your report(s)? N/A

Have you ever requested debt validation from the CA? NO If yes, what did they send you and when did you receive it? N/A

 

If you have already started any of the steps in the HIPAA letter process, please post the following in your initial post or your new post.

 

The steps you have already taken and when. None taken.

The letter(s) you have written: to whom, when and the result(s) from the letter(s).

Dod you send the lettter(s) CM, CMRRR, Priority Mail, etc.?

Did you send any dispute letters, DV letters, etc that were not part of the HIPAA letter process?

What were the outcome(s) from the these letter(s)?

 

Like I said, any help would be appreciated.

 

 

Message 1 of 11
10 REPLIES 10
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

Welcome to the forums!

 

How many med collections are on your reports? Do all of them report a $0 balance?

Message 2 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

Four of them show up on the Transunion report and five on the equifax report.  All show a $0 balance.

 

The law firm paid the OC's directly when everything was settled.

Message 3 of 11
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

Aside from all of these paid med collections, are your reports free and clear of negative items?
Message 4 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

I have one collection from the cable company.  I turned in my cable equipment late when moving and they charged me $135 dollars.  That was paid when I turned in the equipment.  That is the only other collection.
Message 5 of 11
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

I think you're ready to begin the HIPAA process, here's the first few steps.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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 meds collection are deleted, you're finished. If they are not deleted, post again in this thread before proceeding further with the HIPAA letter process. Goodluck!

 

PRE-HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER

 

Message 6 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

Two really stupid questions.

 

I get the opt-out process (I think).

 

To update my personal information, can I just go to the CRA's website, or do I need to call them?

 

And do I need a pre-HIPPA dispute letter for each medical collection?

 

Hoping to get this cleared up and I do appreciate someone giving me some hope of resolving these.

 

Thanks for all the help so far!

Message 7 of 11
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process


Woodman53227 wrote:

Two really stupid questions.

 

I get the opt-out process (I think).

 

To update my personal information, can I just go to the CRA's website, or do I need to call them?

If disputing is required, you may do so online.

 

And do I need a pre-HIPPA dispute letter for each medical collection?

Yes, one pre-HIPAA letter for each collection, but you can put multiple letters in one envelop to each CRA.

 

Hoping to get this cleared up and I do appreciate someone giving me some hope of resolving these.

No problem, let us know how it goes.

Thanks for all the help so far!


 

Message 8 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

I got everything sent out this week, time to begin the waiting game.  Thank you again for all your help, I hope this works...
Message 9 of 11
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Paid medical collections - Need help starting process

No problem, let us know what happens.
Message 10 of 11
Advertiser Disclosure: The offers that appear on this site are from third party advertisers from whom FICO receives compensation.