If you are faced with mounting medical bills, you may be concerned about dealing with debt collectors. Federal law gives you certain rights in how your debt is reported to credit bureaus, the manner in which a collection agency can contact you, and your right to dispute a debt.
FDCPA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a federal law that establishes the rights of individuals to information about their credit report and to dispute debts. It also limits the tactics that debt collectors can use against consumers.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a federal law that establishes strict guidelines for protecting the privacy of medical patients.
Disputing a Bill
You have a right to dispute the charges on a medical bill. If a bill collector contacts you, the collector must notify you that you have 30 days to dispute the debt.
Bill Collector Limitations
A third-party bill collector is obligated to restrict phone calls to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., to refrain from making threats (including threats of imprisonment), or to reveal your indebtedness to other people (with a few exceptions).
Privacy Rights
HIPPA requires that your health-care provider protect your privacy when placing your debt for collection, providing only information necessary to identify you (such as your name and Social Security number) and information about your payment history. If your debt is reported to a credit bureau, your health-care provider's name and affiliation must be coded so as not to reveal the medical specialty.
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