Paid medical bill

by S W
(Maryland)

I am on medicare I had a Dr bill that I paid then stared receiving a statement saying I owed more I have proof I paid original bill I contacted billing office to dispute the bill next thing I know the bill was turned over to collection,What can I do to keep this off my credit report

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Feb 19, 2012
 Paid medical bill
by: Debtcollectionanswers

The medical provider may already have reported the information to the credit bureas, and the collection agency may have done the same. If so, try to get the information removed.

First, dispute the debt with the collector. Put your dispute in writing and attach proof that you paid the debt in full. If you do this within 30 days of receiving the agency’s initial collection notice, it must respond to you in writing. Make a copy of the letter for your files and send the original and your proof via certified mail with a return receipt requested. Read our advice on using a cease and desist letter to stop a debt collector. If you send a copy of a cancelled check, blacken out the account information. Otherwise, the agency may use it to take money from your account!

After receiving your letter, the agency may stop trying to collect. If it doesn’t, consider scheduling a free consultation with a consumer law attorney.

Once you've resolved the problem, ask the debt collector to remove any negative information it may have reported to the credit bureaus. If the medical provider reported negative information too, contact it to get that information removed -- the agency can only remove information it reported. If either or both agree to remove the information, review all three of your credit reports -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion -- a month or two later to confirm that it’s gone.

You can also formally dispute the information with the credit bureaus under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Once you do, the credit bureaus must investigate and tell you the results within 30 days. If they conclude that the information is wrong, it must be corrected. It you have trouble, contact a consumer law attorney.

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