help with unpaid health collection?

I just started with junum,received credit reports on my husband and myself.I sent both of them off to Junum with only the derogatories hilighted with specific instructions to only work on those.BUT a collection item showed up on my husbands,but not on mine showing a $164 unpaid collection from Healthcare Collections INC here in phoenix.This was from 1998.That year we had many medical bills from a hospitilization and I had many bills not sent due to them putting wrong city in the address.I called Junum,they said pay it due to it would keep resurfacing as unpaid.I called the collection agency after finding their addy on the internet.They checked the account and it was still listed with the wrong city as the address.They said I was called in 1998 and had asked for the bill to be faxed by me to my house.I do not remember that and said maybe it was my daughter since she was living at home at the time.I then asked if I paid the bill in full would they delete it from my husbands file.She checked with supervisor,came back and said it would be listed as paid but still would be on the reports.By the way I blacked this item out on report sent to junum with note I was working on this myself.What kind of letter do I draft to proceed next.Or what is the best thing to do.I have read here that dont pay till they agree to delete it,but I want to do it correctly!!!

 

Martysgirl,thanks I will do that but should I just go ahead and pay,since they said on the phone that they will not delete the item if paid,only list it as paid.I am afraid of making a mistake that is irreversible.