I am seeing different reports on what to do about medical collections, on different boards and am confused. Here is my situation: 1. I have one medical collection that was not submitted to my insurance company properly. 2. I have 3-4 duplicated collections of the same tiny amount (let's call it $17.00) from the same OC ( same CA). This same CA also has larger items from the same OC on my report. The larger ones are probably amounts I owe, and have no mistakes. But I have to believe that "$17" duplicated collection is an error. 3. I have older medical collections that are probably valid. But may not validate. How do I handle these and in what order? Which do I validate with CA first? Which do I claim as 'not mine' with CRA first? Which do I send payment and HIPPA letter with first? I have my HIPAA letter all typed out for #1 (to send to the OC) , and I am using the insert "did not properly submit to Ins. Co." as the reason. (I'd even help them submit it to my INS Co. , if they remove - but didn't mention it in the letter.) ---Did I get this one right? I don't want to mess the order up and screw myself out of a deletion. I have already fixed my addresses. What can I do, In What Specific Order, - to make them pull these medical accounts? Thanks!
Shameless self bumpage... Some expert out there should know how to steer me right. I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake, especially if I decide to validate everything first with the CAs. And how long after I get the green card back should I dispute online with the CRAs? Can I do it as soon as I get the card back? (Even if my CA is 1 day by mail?) Thanks!
There are different ideas of what to do first. I'll tell you what I do. I dispute with the CRA first as not mine. Why wake up the CA if you don't need to. If you want to catch the CA in a violation then you have to request validation with the CA and as soon as you get the card back dispute as not mine with the CRA. HIPPA is when the CA has a copy of your medical records without your permission. It's a violation of federal law. A lot of people have gotten deletions by threatening to sue. You can sue the CA or the hospital or both for this. Think about what your goal is. Do you want deletions or do you want $ and deletions by setting a trap for them.
Mostly deletions, is what I'm after. But if I can pick up a few $1000 at the time, that's not bad either. What is the advantage of disputing not mine with CRA first? Instead of validating with CA? CRAs are less likely to move right?
The advantage of disputing with the CRA first is that it might get deleted in the 30 day period and you are finished. The idea is that the CA doesn't respond and doesn't get woken up. I like to get deletions without the CA even knowing about it. If it wakes them up then you have to validate. If you validate you wake them up and the whole process can take several months. Others here prefer to go straight to validation and rack up violations.
Ok... But if I dispute with the CRAs first... and they fail to remove... Then can I validate with the CAs (for medical collections), and then dispute AGAIN with the CRAs as soon as I get my green CRRR cards back? I doubt the CRAs are going to remove these debts as they are about 2 years old. But I'd be willing to bet that the CAs will be lazy and not validate properly, and NOT list the item as in dispute (which of course I can use to get a deletion.) So if the item has already been disputed by me directly with the CRAs, how can I prove that the CA did not label the item as 'disputed' ? Am I making sense?
Yes...you can dispute again after getting the green card back. You have to dispute with the CA to get a note on the report that the account is in dispute. Disputing with the CRA won't do it. Accounts 2 years old sometimes get deleted on the first try. It's happended to me. The rest of them is where you need to validate and set them up for violations.
