Collection Reported on Ambulance Bill

[am_hollitz]

Unfortunately I didn't discover this site sooner. But maybe you can point me in the right direction after all has been said and done.

SITUATION:

I had a hell of a time disputing a medical bill with my health insurance provider, UnitedHealthcare, for an ambulance ride I took several years ago. The provider covered the ER costs and sent me a bill for the co-payment, but the ambulance bill portion was bypassed completely, with UHC claiming I was repsonsible for the entirety of the bill which was subject to my deductible limits.

After running my credit, I found the bill ended up in collections.

When I contacted the ambulance service, which was provided by the local firestation, they said they would not take my payment, that the bill was charged off, and that I would have to take it up with the collection agency, Northwest Collectors.

To get the matter over and done with I just paid the bill off with collections, not realizing that it would have such a detrimental effect not to negotiate with them.

PROBLEM:

The bill is paid off but the listing is still on my report. The listing specifically notes, however, that the Creditor is "Northwest Collectors" and the Original Creditor is: "City of Wheaton--Ambulance Bill"

My understanding is that because this is regarding a medical bill, it must be not be listed on my credit report.

QUESTION(S):

1) Is an unpaid medical bill such as this (for an ambulance ride, specifically), which ended up in collections, allowed to be reported on my credit report?

2) What FCRA legalese/citation can I throw at the CRAs to have this collection removed, on the grounds that this is a medical bill-related collection and it is impermissable to have it listed on my credit report?

3) OR do I have it all wrong, and now such listings are permissable?

Thanks, in advance for any information you can provide.

AMB, from Illinois.

[Recovering Attorney]

It's not FCRA per se, but HIPPA, that might apply, but just because a medical bill shows up in collections doesn't mean it can't be reported.

[Big Time]

How long has the tradeline been on your report(s)? If it's been awhile and is already paid, a nice quiet online dispute may get rid of it.

read this whole thread to help you make your decision: http://www.debt-consolidation-credit-repair-service.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263996

The CA probably won't bother to even respond to the inquiry from the CRA since there is no more money in it for them, which triggers deletion, but you still risk it being listed as a "paid collection."