Unpaid medical bills are often turned over to collection agencies. Once that happens, the agency reports delinquency to the credit bureaus. This negative mark can remain on a credit report for up to seven years. Getting medical bills that have gone to collections off of a credit report is difficult, and collection agencies are notorious for using deceitful tactics in pursuit of unpaid debts. Despite protective regulations enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, removing debt collections can take multiple attempts.
Instructions
- 1
Do everything possible to pay the bills first. Make sure every avenue is explored for getting the bills paid off. This will make removing them much easier. In addition, paying the bill will change the entry on your credit report from "unpaid" to "paid." Having a paid bill show up on a credit report is far less harmful than an unpaid bill. Consumers caught in the crossfire between health insurance companies and physicians often end up with the bill. Doing everything they can short of bankruptcy will help them down the road.
2Dispute as many medical bills as possible. Contact the major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) to dispute the bills. A successful dispute will remove the entry, but the bureaus require that the entry be proved a mistake, such as a clerical error. Even if the dispute is unsuccessful, the bureaus may give the consumer a chance to explain the entry. The consumer has 100 words to explain the error as the result of a situational event, such as an insurer refusing to pay. The explanation will be attached to the consumer's credit report.
3Check the report annually. Pull the credit reports from all three credit bureaus and go over them every year. Even after all the medical bills are resolved, sometimes they still show up. Years later, consumers may find old entries stating they owe money for medical expenses. The next time medical expenses are incurred, check the reports again and repeat the process of disputing and explaining.
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