Even if you are fortunate enough to be covered by health insurance, there is still a certain amount of medical bills for which you are responsible. If these bills go unpaid, your medical bills can be reported to credit agencies.
Expenses Not Covered
Your doctor may perform tests or prescribe medications, which are not covered by health insurance. Make sure in advance what portion of the bill you will be responsible for paying.
Computer or Clerical Errors
Insurance companies are large and sometimes can overlook payments due to computer or clerical errors that should have been made to a doctor or pharmacy. Check your credit report carefully to make sure none of the charges are ones which should have been paid by your insurance company.
Length on Credit Report
Unpaid medical bills can negatively effect your credit report for up to seven years.
Monitor Credit Report
You can request of free copy of your credit report from such places as AnnualCreditReport.com. The first step is to check the report carefully and report any inaccuracies in writing to the consumer reporting company.
Payment Plan
Most collection agencies will allow you to work out a payment plan where you can pay down your medical debt in installment payments. This will help you remove the negative score from your credit report.
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