Midway WhyChat's HIPAA program - Reinsertion doubts after initial success

[nathanwrnr]

Hello,

 

I have been following this forum for a while and decided to try using WhyChat's HIPAA process to try and have some medical collection accounts removed from my Credit Report. I had 7 accounts on my Credit Report - all opened in 2010 - which I disputed with some success. I did the following after reading the HIPAA guide:

 

1. Opt-out

2. Remove old addresses - EQ/TU obliged while EXP would not agree initially

3. Pull Credit Reports

4. Send initial dispute letter

 

 

I had pulled my credit report from all 3 bureaus and sent them a letter asking for clarification on all the medical accounts on my report. I had mailed out my letters on the 11/18 but received a letter on 12/2 from Experian stating that the report I had based my dispute on was not eligible and I would need to pull another report.

 

( I had purchased a single report from their website after speaking to an agent but it turned out they have two services - a Credit Report with Score Watch for $11.xx on their main page and the Credit Report with a report number which can be used for dispute but which is only available through their dispute page.)

 

I then sent in a written request to ask for a credit report on 12/9 which reached them by 12/13. On 12/15 I saw that TU had removed all the accounts disputed from their report while EQ had removed all but 1 (which was about $50). I also saw that EXP had removed all the accounts that EQ had even though I had not sent them the dispute letter with the report as yet.

 

My Questions are.

 

1. The report which I will receive from EXP will most probably have the accounts removed - is there any way I can get them confirmed as deleted so that I can address them if a reinsertion occurs?

 

2. One account remains on the EQ and EXP reports. I have not got any confirmation from them about the deletion as yet so should I wait for that before proceeding? If the confirmation doesn't explicitly state that they were deleted should I ask for it to assist with any dispute in the case of reinsertion?

 

3. I have 2 non-medical collection accounts - can I DV the CAs of those accounts in the meantime now?

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

[Why Chat]

The directions for using the HIPAA letter program are spelled out in the guides:

 

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

 

http://www.whychat.5u.com/GUIDE%20HIPAA%20PROGRAM.html

 

You need to use real reports ( which are free) with individual report #s on them.

 

I don't know what kind of report you obtained from Ex., but it obviously was not one that had its own ID #

 

I don't know what kind of "letter asking for clarification on all the medical accounts on my report" you used, but it appears you did NOT use the initial dispute letter from the program:

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

 

It is difficult to determine exactly what your next step should be as I don't know exactly what you sent to the CRAs, or when they received them.

 

NO, you can not dispute non medical at the same time as medical as the disputes will be merged.

[nathanwrnr]

WhyChat,

 

Thanks for replying- I've included some clarifications since my initial post might not have been clear:

 

 

You need to use real reports ( which are free) with individual report #s on them.

 

I had run through my free reports for the year so I ended up having to buy reports at a reduced cost (per state law). The EQ and TU reports were of the correct type. The EXP report had a confirmation number instead of a report number which was my error for not noticing ( the person I spoke to on the phone indicated it was a report that could be used to file a dispute but it turns out he was referring to a dispute directly through their member service) - I have since bought a copy of the report with a report ID from EXP that can be used for a mail-in dispute.

 

I don't know what kind of "letter asking for clarification on all the medical accounts on my report" you used, but it appears you did NOT use the initial dispute letter from the program:

 

This wasn't clear in my earlier post but I did use the initial dispute letter from the program. I printed out the template for the multiple account dispute and hand-wrote the letter which I mailed to all 3 CRAs as specified in the link you mentioned.

 

 

It is difficult to determine exactly what your next step should be as I don't know exactly what you sent to the CRAs, or when they received them.

 

I had sent the CRAs the initial dispute letter. My request to EXP was sent back due to my use of an incorrect report (without report #). TU deleted all the lines in the meantime while EQ deleted 6 of the 7 lines. I assume EQ sent EXP the information since they deleted the same 6 lines as well. The timeline I followed it below:

 

11/18 - mailed all 3 CRAs THE initial dispute letter for 7 medical collection accounts

11/22 - delivered to all 3 CRAs

12/2 - response from exp stating that the Report # I had referenced was invalid

12/9 - mail EXP asking for Credit Report with Report #

12/13 - mail delivered to EXP

12/15 - TU removed all 7 accounts - am awaiting written confirmation of the deletion

12/15 - EQ removed 6 accounts - am awaiting written confirmation of the deletion.

12/15 - EXP also removed the same 6 accounts as EQ - they had not sent me the copy of my correct report ( with report #) at this point so I had not re-sent them the initial dispute letter.

12/22 - Received Report with Report # from EXP with 6 of the 7 Accounts I planned to dispute removed.

My doubt is how to proceed with EXP since they have deleted 6 of the 7 accounts in question without my sending them the initial dispute letter, will this reduce the recourse I can take in the event of reinsertion?

Also - should I proceed with an initial dispute letter to EXP with the report I now have (with report #) for the remaining Medical Account or should I wait to hear back with official confirmation from EQ and TU?

Any information on how to proceed would be appreciated.

[Why Chat]

 

WhyChat,

 

Thanks for replying- I've included some clarifications since my initial post might not have been clear:

 

 

You need to use real reports ( which are free) with individual report #s on them.

 

I had run through my free reports for the year so I ended up having to buy reports at a reduced cost (per state law). The EQ and TU reports were of the correct type. The EXP report had a confirmation number instead of a report number which was my error for not noticing ( the person I spoke to on the phone indicated it was a report that could be used to file a dispute but it turns out he was referring to a dispute directly through their member service) - I have since bought a copy of the report with a report ID from EXP that can be used for a mail-in dispute.

 

I don't know what kind of "letter asking for clarification on all the medical accounts on my report" you used, but it appears you did NOT use the initial dispute letter from the program:

 

This wasn't clear in my earlier post but I did use the initial dispute letter from the program. I printed out the template for the multiple account dispute and hand-wrote the letter which I mailed to all 3 CRAs as specified in the link you mentioned.

 

 

It is difficult to determine exactly what your next step should be as I don't know exactly what you sent to the CRAs, or when they received them.

 

I had sent the CRAs the initial dispute letter. My request to EXP was sent back due to my use of an incorrect report (without report #). TU deleted all the lines in the meantime while EQ deleted 6 of the 7 lines. I assume EQ sent EXP the information since they deleted the same 6 lines as well. NO-- the CRAs do NOT exchange data, your dispute to Eq was what got you the deletions The timeline I followed it below:

 

11/18 - mailed all 3 CRAs THE initial dispute letter for 7 medical collection accounts

11/22 - delivered to all 3 CRAs

12/2 - response from exp stating that the Report # I had referenced was invalid

12/9 - mail EXP asking for Credit Report with Report #

12/13 - mail delivered to EXP

12/15 - TU removed all 7 accounts - am awaiting written confirmation of the deletion

12/15 - EQ removed 6 accounts - am awaiting written confirmation of the deletion.

12/15 - EXP also removed the same 6 accounts as EQ - they had not sent me the copy of my correct report ( with report #) at this point so I had not re-sent them the initial dispute letter.

12/22 - Received Report with Report # from EXP with 6 of the 7 Accounts I planned to dispute removed.

My doubt is how to proceed with EXP since they have deleted 6 of the 7 accounts in question without my sending them the initial dispute letter, will this reduce the recourse I can take in the event of reinsertion?

Also - should I proceed with an initial dispute letter to EXP with the report I now have (with report #) for the remaining Medical Account or should I wait to hear back with official confirmation from EQ and TU?

Any information on how to proceed would be appreciated.

 

You send the CA on the 1 account that remains with Eq and Ex the medical DV, and send Eq and Ex the follow up dispute.

http://www.whychat.5u.com/GUIDE%20HIPAA%20PROGRAM.html

 

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE

 

I have no idea why you are worried about reinsertion of accounts that have been deleted. If you save your letters of deletion and IF by some chance one of the CRAs reinserts anything that has been deleted, you can use this:

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

[nathanwrnr]

Hi,

 

Thanks - I will follow up with EQ and EXP as well as the CA as you suggested. Regarding your question about why I am concerned about reinsertion:

 

 

I have no idea why you are worried about reinsertion of accounts that have been deleted. If you save your letters of deletion and IF by some chance one of the CRAs reinserts anything that has been deleted, you can use this: http://www.whychat.5...rcraredisp.html

 

From what I understand, that letter in part requires that I have disputed the account with the CRA and that they have responded with a deletion and confirmation about the same:

 

"In my letter of (date of dispute letter) I disputed the following account (Name of account & account #)

In your letter of ____ and your report # ____ of (date) you have (describe the action they took)."

Since the accounts were removed from my Experian report before I could send in the initial dispute letter from the HIPAA program with the correct report, my concern was that I would not have any confirmation about deletion at that time to reference in case of a reinsertion dispute.

Thanks again!

[Why Chat]

??? I don't understand your question. If an account has been deleted from Ex then you obviously do not send a medical DV to the CA for that report.