I’m trying to pay off some medical bills that went to collections about a year ago. The problem is, the hospital transferred them to multiple agencies, and now no one seems to have any record of them. Each agency says there’s nothing under my name, and the hospital doesn’t know where the bills are either.
Is there any way to track down what I owe and figure out how to pay it? I’ve spent hours trying to get answers and it’s just so frustrating. I even considered getting legal help, but I’m not sure it’ll do any good. If anyone has advice, I’d really appreciate it. I have the money to pay, but I can’t get anyone to take it.
Have you checked your credit report? Services like Credit Karma can show debts in collections. Some banks also have tools that link to credit bureaus like Experian to show your debts.
Val said:
Have you checked your credit report? Services like Credit Karma can show debts in collections. Some banks also have tools that link to credit bureaus like Experian to show your debts.
I just got my Experian report, but it doesn’t show anything for me. Is Credit Karma free? I’ll make an account if it is.
Val said:
Have you checked your credit report? Services like Credit Karma can show debts in collections. Some banks also have tools that link to credit bureaus like Experian to show your debts.
I signed up, but I can’t find where it shows collections. Any tips?
@Riley
In my app, there’s a tab at the top called ‘Debt.’ It shows loans and any collections. When I had a medical bill in collections, it showed up there too.
Val said: @Riley
In my app, there’s a tab at the top called ‘Debt.’ It shows loans and any collections. When I had a medical bill in collections, it showed up there too.
If no one is trying to collect, maybe just save the money for now. Eventually, a new collector might contact you, and you’ll have the funds ready. If no one contacts you, the debt could pass the statute of limitations, which is usually about 4 years.
Riley said: @Terry
The problem is my doctor’s office won’t let me make appointments because they say I’m behind on payments.
Tell them you’ve checked your credit report, and there’s no record of the debt. Ask them for copies of any outstanding bills so you can see what’s owed and to whom. The hospital likely has a billing department you can contact directly.
Medical collections don’t always show up on credit reports anymore due to recent changes in the law. For a complete report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com to get free weekly reports from all three bureaus.
Riley said: @Kai
Does that mean medical collections can’t hurt your credit score anymore? If so, what’s the point of paying them at all?
They don’t impact your credit the same way anymore, but keep in mind that not all medical debts are immediately reported. It depends on the agency. Honestly, if there’s no pressure to pay, you could let it be for now.
