How do I get medical off my credit report

[marabbit]

I have several medical things on my report. I am afraid to just pay them and hope they come off, so how do I go about getting them removed.

[marabbit]

Also there are several things that I have paid within the last year when collections has called me. They told me that I needed to pay before it showed up on my report, but in checking my report (at annualcreditreport.com so is my actual report) they are there and marked as "account paid in full, was a collectioin". I want this off completely if there is any way. I have tried reading some of the topics here, but don't understand most of the abbreviations so not sure what I am supposed to do.

 

Thanks

[ficowoes]

THIS CAME DIRECTLY FROM EXPERIAN TO ME: If you pay a collection, and they DO NOT delete it off your report. your score will not change. IT HAS TO BE DELETED. If they mark it as PAID, it will change nothing. Its still negative info.

 

Ive been dealing with this for awhile. If they wont give you a delete letter, you are wasting your money paying them. In fact, how I took care of collections calls, was the second i found out who they where and what they wanted, i asked them: "Will you give a delete letter?" If the answer was "Yes" then we would start negotiating. If they said "No", I will tell them to either call back when they would or pass it on to the next agency and we will try again in a few months.

 

oh yeah.... and when they threaten to "send it to legal" that is a GOOD thing. The "attorney collectors" will almost ALWAYS settle and give you a letter. Tell them to send that sucker. ; )

[Why Chat]

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http://www.whychat.5u.com/OPTOUTINST.HTML

 

Get your REAL credit reports, the 3rd party monitoring service reports are useless for disputing,To order, visit annualcreditreport.com,or call 1-877-322-8228

 

IF you have moved since the date of medical services, try to get your old addresses deleted: Send a HANDWRITTEN letter certified mail, WITHOUT a return receipt to each CRA ( Credit Reporting Agency)In the heading, after your name and address, and the Name and address of the CRA you are writing to, write your report # . Tell them that the address(es) of xxxx are not valid and that you are concerned about identity theft/fraud. Tell them you are providing them with proof of your identity and correct address. Include a COPY of your SS ( Social Security) card, a COPY of your drivers license, and an ORIGINAL recent utility bill.

 

Send each CRA this: ( list ALL medical accounts, paid or unpaid as they appear on the report you are disputing)

http://www.whychat.5u.com/hipaadisp.html

 

Come back to THIS post for further instructions after you have completed all the above steps or for further questions.

 

The advice from "ficowoes" who is a new poster, may be interesting but it does NOT work and is NOT useful for medical accounts.

 

When you come back to this post please provide the DATES of the medical service(s) that are referred to on your reports.

[marabbit]

OK, opting out. What is it I am opting out of??? Also the link has two opt out options, which one?

 

I was working from the credit reports from annualcreditreport.com . I ran into a couple of problems though. Mine it said I had already gotten my experian within the past 12 months (don't remember doing it, but I will pay for one if you can direct me to the place to get a paid one. Husbands equifax after I entered everything when I clicked on continue a message popped up that it couldn't give me a report online at this time, to mail for one and gave a mailing address on the popup and wanted a copy of his ss card and dl and something else, don't remember what. I couldn't get the popup page to print and it got closed out before I copied everything. He also has to go order a ss card as he doesn't have his (wallet was lost many years ago and don't have it). I also need to order a copy of mine. When I get that will order his equifax, but it may take a few weeks for it to get here I am sure. I will also try again to get an online one, I think it blocked it because one of the verification questions it asked was for the amount of the mortgage payment, I included the escrow portion in that figure and not sure if I was supposed to so it may have not been the right answer. Both ranges (with and without the escrow added) were on the menu of choices.

 

We haven't moved in 20 years and though our old address is still on both our reports there is nothing on them that is from that address so deleting it shouldn't matter. Do I need to do it anyway?

 

Also I got our score from creditsesame.com (I think), and they send me an email every month or so. Scores are pretty low (I will have to look, but I think around 600) and the inquiry is showing on one of the reports so how do I stop that and do I need to.

 

On the reports I do have there is the following

Husbands:

paid judgement/circuit court/individual debt date filed 11/04/10, paid 12/10/10. This was a medical bill (anesthesia) that husband went to a insurance participating dr, had surgery at a participating hospital but the anesthesiologist was not participating (which we weren't told before the surgery). We started getting bills and I called and gave them insurance info again, they said they had filed and insurance said he wasn't covered. I called insurance and they said it wasn't paying because they weren't a participating provider and that since we went thru a participating dr and participating hospital and got precertification as it wasn't an emergency procedure that we should have been informed beforehand that they used non-participating providers and given the option of using someone different who was participating or going to a different dr/hospital. The insurance company wound up pulling their contract with the hospital unless the anesth. went under contract with them or they used a different group (which there wasn't in that town) so the anesth. wound up becoming part. providers after the fact (but the ins company still wouldn't cover his bill because it was before they were under contract). The ins company told me if they were contracted at the time because we had already met ded and their allowed charges were considerably less than what they were being billed that we would only be responsible for a bit over $100 instead of the almost 1k they were billing. They also said since we weren't informed in writing before the surgery the hospital would be responsible, I relayed the message to the anesth. and they quit sending bills or calling. About 3 weeks later we were served small claims summons and I took everything to a lawyer. He told me I would spend more with him than just paying it so I called to pay it and the said they couldn't accept payment since it was already in the court system (untrue, but I think they were mad at us because this was in the middle of the insurance company canceling contract with the hospital). The lawyer said to go to court, argue our case ourselves so not to have a lawyer bill and if we lost just to pay it and it wouldn't show. Husband went to court the day after court date (I wrote it down wrong on his calendar, my fault) and was told since he hadn't shown they were given a judgement. Lawyer said to pay it and it shouldn't hurt our credit since it would be the same as if someone sued us, we fought it, lost and then paid. The court date was he 8th of dec (they filed suit in nov), we went to court on the 9th found out there wrong day and paid on the 10th. I am figuring we are stuck with this one, do you know how badly it affects his score?

 

Here is what else is on his reports Transunion:

amcol systems, placed for collections 10/14/2009 updated 10/29/2011 $84 unpaid this is for dermpath diagnostics, husband paid his co-pay at the dr, not sure what this part of the bill is for, he was on a different insurance company then than he is now and I don't have that info anymore to find out why their is a balance

escallate, inc placed in collection 5/27/2009, updated 5/21/2010, last payment 4/30/2010 sceduled to go off 1/2016 paid collection $413

Interstate credit collect: placed in collection 3/30/2009, updated 7/17/2009, last payment 7/16/2009, scheduled to go off 3/2015 paid collection $132

Paragon Revenue Group: placed in collection 1/25/2012, updated 3/20/2012, estimated to be removed 11/2018. Unpaid $1207. This was for Hospital visit in 2010, I was making payments on this and my debit card number was compromised and they sent me a new one in Dec 2011, didn't realize the payments were coming from the debit card and not directly from my checking account until the CA called. Do owe this, but want it removed if I am going to pay it.

Paragon Revenue Group: placed in collection 1/28/2011, scheduled to go off 9/2017, updated 5/20/2011. This is for a dr bill that we paid the copay in 11/2010. Husband was on Cobra insurance and it was paid thru 11/30/2010 to his old employers agent that was handling their cobra insurance plan. His individual personal policy started on 12/1/2010. Insurance company took him off 10/31/2010 because he had gone max number of months on the insurance. According to the insurance agent he hadn't, but insurance company even pulled up the contract moving him to cobra and they were right. Agent never refunded the $900 insurance premium paid and somehow on the smaller bills that were incurred during Nov were paid by the insurance company (I have the EOB's on them) but no matter how hard I fought (even sent copies of canceled check for premium) didn't pay this one. Allowed charges should have been less than the amount they are billing me. By the time we got a final answer from the insurance company it is on his credit and so need to know what to do on this one.

Stern and Associates: placed in collection 3/13/2012 to be removed 6/2018, last updated 5/16/2012. Solistas Lab Partners $65 open account. Not sure what this one is, he pays the drs office as he goes, I think this is a third party lab. Probably owe it.

Experian:

Amcol: $84 past due as of oct 2011, scheduled to continue til Jun 2015 (same as above)

Paragon: $617 as of oct 2011, scheduled to continue til Jul 2017 (same bill as above)

Paragon: $1207 as of Mar 2012, scheduled to continue til Spet 2018 (same bill as above)

Escallate: paid closed $413 collection as of aug 2009, not til date

Interstate Credit Collect: paid closed $132, collection as of Jun 2009, no til date

Stern and Associates: $65 as of 5/2012, scheduled to continue til apr 2018

 

will put my stuff on separate post.

[marabbit]

Equifax:

PMAB,LLC: reported 12/11, assigned 2/11, date delinquency 9/10, origional amount $58, balance date 12/11, balance owed $41, last pay date 2/24/11, unpaid (don't know what this is, says OC is Gaston Radiology

PMAB, LLC reported 5/11, assigned 3/11, date deliquency 12/10, or and balance owed $209, unpaid (cox road urgent care)

PMAB, LLC reproted 6/11, assigned 3/11, delinquency 12/10, orig and balance owed $209, unpaid (cox road urgent care) maybe a duplicate, but reported twice

PMAB, LLC reported 5/11, assinged 2/11, 1st delinquent 10/10, orig and balance owed $71, unpaid, (gaston radiology

PMAB, LLC everything identical to previous post, another duplicate??

Stern and Associatesreported 1/11, assigned 11/10, 1st delinquent 6/10, balance owed $22, unpaid (spectrum lab)??

Stern and Associates: reported 1/11, assinged 11/10, 1st delinquent 6/10, $16, unpaid (spectrum lab)??

 

Transunion:

PMAB: $41, unpaid scheduled to remove 8/17, placed for collection 2/11

PMAB: $209 scheduled to remove 11/17, placed for collection 3/11

PMAB: $209, schuduled to remove 11/17, placed 3/11

PMAB: $71, scheduled to remove 9.17, placed for collection 2/11

PMAB: $71, schudule dto remove 9/17, placed for collection 2/11

[ficowoes]

The advice from "ficowoes" who is a new poster, may be interesting but it does NOT work and is NOT useful for medical accounts.

 

 

the heck it doesnt. ive done several medical accounts this way with success, using my states SOL against them to get a delete letter. in some cases, it took a few calls from them and some patience and determination on my part, but it worked. Some collections people are a-holes about it and you cant reason or even bully them at all, but ive had about a 75-80% success rate. I promise you too, without TOTAL DELETION of the collection account from your file, your score will be unaffected by paying the collection. I learned this the hard way by paying the dang things and then not getting a score increase, hence why i called experian, sat on hold for 30 minutes and asked. That is the answer i got.

 

If you dont believe me, call experian and ask one of their CS reps. as long as that sucker is listed on your report, it affects your score, paid or not, and paying it DOES NOT reduce its negative impact on your score.

 

It makes sense to me to only pay those that will agree to remove it. exception to this would be if you are currently seeking a mortgage, and the loan officer is requiring that you pay any unpaid collections.

 

i understand im new here, and i dont pretend to know everthing, (hence why im here) but i know this one from experience, as ive been rebuilding my stink hole credit for some time now, and a vast majority of my issues were medical collections. heck, nearly all. ; )

Edited June 24, 2012 by ficowoes

[Why Chat]

The advice from "ficowoes" who is a new poster, may be interesting but it does NOT work and is NOT useful for medical accounts.

 

 

the heck it doesnt. ive done several medical accounts this way with success, using my states SOL against them to get a delete letter. in some cases, it took a few calls from them and some patience and determination on my part, but it worked. Some collections people are a-holes about it and you cant reason or even bully them at all, but ive had about a 75-80% success rate. I promise you too, without TOTAL DELETION of the collection account from your file, your score will be unaffected by paying the collection. I learned this the hard way by paying the dang things and then not getting a score increase, hence why i called experian, sat on hold for 30 minutes and asked. That is the answer i got.

 

If you dont believe me, call experian and ask one of their CS reps. as long as that sucker is listed on your report, it affects your score, paid or not, and paying it DOES NOT reduce its negative impact on your score.

 

It makes sense to me to only pay those that will agree to remove it. exception to this would be if you are currently seeking a mortgage, and the loan officer is requiring that you pay any unpaid collections.

 

i understand im new here, and i dont pretend to know everthing, (hence why im here) but i know this one from experience, as ive been rebuilding my stink hole credit for some time now, and a vast majority of my issues were medical collections. heck, nearly all. ; )

I appreciate your input and congratulate you on your "success". HOWEVER, in general, when you pay a CA it will of course be deleted from your reports, however it frequently reappears as a "paid" collection EVEN if you have a written agreement for a complete deletion. In addition, the $$ you paid the CAs were likely completely unneccessary, and $$ down a CA rathole as the CAs who "cooperated" so well with you likely had NO authority to collect or report on the medical accounts and would have been easily deleted without wasting your $$ with a PROPER dispute to the CRAs.

 

THIS forum established to deal ONLY with medical accounts has a system of disputing off reports these unauthorized accounts from "garbage" CAs, verifying the ACTUAL VALID COLLECTION ACCOUNTS, and paying the OC ( original creditor health care provider) with a system that FORCES a total deletion.

 

Additionally, you would have the pleasure of knowing that some garbage CA who bought your account for pennies from a data miner ( NOT from the OC) wouldn't get a RED CENT and knowing that any LEGITIMATE VALID BILLS were paid to the health care provider whom you actually SAW!!. PLUS, if you pay the OC with this method, the $$ are deductible as a medical expense if you itemize on your IRS return.

[marabbit]

What step do I do next? I know I need to get husbands equifax, but may have to wait on his ss card to come first (I am going to try again tomorrow to get it online even if I have to pay).

Where do I go to get my real experian report?

How do I get my credit score? I see on here that people have one from all 3 bureaus and update them regularly so figure there is a way to get that.

Do I need to cancel creditsesame.com as it is giving me only one score (which one I don't know) and is showing as an inquiry on my reports, but is showing as a "inquiries that do not impact credit rating"

How do I send the letter that you said to send to all CRA? Typed or handwritten? Return receipt? Do I send them to the CA too, or just the CRA for now?

How do I respond to the CA if they call during the time I am waiting to hear back from the CRA?

Also there are a couple of bills I do owe that I have heard from CAs about that aren't on my reports. Do I call the OC directly and pay them or pay the CA? When I did that before they weren't showing on DH's report, but now they are as paid so don't want to make the same mistake.

[Why Chat]

What step do I do next? I know I need to get husbands equifax, but may have to wait on his ss card to come first (I am going to try again tomorrow to get it online even if I have to pay). Has he had his free credit reports this year?? if not you can get them( all 3) on line , visit annualcreditreport.com,or call 1-877-322-8228, you can get yours the same way

Where do I go to get my real experian report?

How do I get my credit score? I see on here that people have one from all 3 bureaus and update them regularly so figure there is a way to get that. I suggest you wait until you get your reports cleaned up before getting your "scores", once all the derogatories are off all your reports you can go back into each CRA account on line, get an updated report and buy the score for each report

Do I need to cancel creditsesame.com as it is giving me only one score (which one I don't know) and is showing as an inquiry on my reports, but is showing as a "inquiries that do not impact credit rating" I personally do not like the credit monitoring systems, however how you spend your $$ is up to you

How do I send the letter that you said to send to all CRA? Typed or handwritten? Return receipt? Do I send them to the CA too, or just the CRA for now? The initial dispute letter goes ONLY to the CRAs, the instructions are to either HANDWRITE these on legal pad paper, OR if you are printing them on your computer to follow the instructions and example in the link:

http://www.whychat.5u.com/hipaadisp.html

How do I respond to the CA if they call during the time I am waiting to hear back from the CRA? Get their name and the name of the CA and say "under advice I am responding ONLY to written communication, if they persist, tell them the call is being recorded

Also there are a couple of bills I do owe that I have heard from CAs about that aren't on my reports. Do I call the OC directly and pay them or pay the CA? When I did that before they weren't showing on DH's report, but now they are as paid so don't want to make the same mistake. It depends, if you are SURE they are valid, and that they are VERY RECENT, within the last year, and they MATCH bills you have received from the OC, then you can pay them directly to the OC with the HIPAA letter insert "a"

http://www.whychat.5u.com/hipltr.html

otherwise, ask for all communication be in writing, they are required by law to send you a written notice within 5 days of their first phone call