By Carla K. Johnson
Associated Press, March 4, 2012

The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that sponsors health care research, estimates that 22 million Americans were contacted by collection agencies for unpaid medical bills in 2005. That increased to 30 million Americans in 2010.

Surprisingly, even after the bills have been paid off, the record of the collection action can stay on a credit report for up to seven years, dragging down credit scores and driving up the cost of financing a home. An estimated 3.4 million Americans have paid-off medical debt lingering on their credit reports, according to the Access Project, a research group funded by health care foundations and advocates of tougher laws on medical debt collectors.

Medical bills make up the majority of collection actions on credit reports, and most are for less than $250, according to Federal Reserve Board research.

Matt Ernst, a vice president at Mortgage Lenders of America in Overland Park, Kan., said medical collections frequently turn up on credit reports.

“We see a ton of them,” Ernst said. They have an impact on financing, he said, but even he didn’t realize how much until he learned that someone with a FICO score of 680 — which is considered good, but not excellent — will see their score drop up to 65 points because of a medical collection.

“I didn’t know a medical collection would hammer it that hard,” Ernst said.

It’s a problem for insured and uninsured alike. Outright billing mistakes, confusion over whether a claim will be paid by insurance and disputes between insurance companies and doctors — all can lead to medical bills being sent to collection agencies.

http://news.yahoo.com/medical-bills-wreck-credit-even-paid-off-183216201.html

Comment:

By Don McCanne, MD

In 2010, 30 million Americans were contacted by collection agencies for unpaid medical bills. Even if paid off, the resulting reduction in scores on credit reports often have serious negative financial consequences because of the perceived lower level of creditworthiness.

Imagine this occurring with a health care financing system that provides first dollar coverage, as with a single payer national health program. It wouldn’t. Bill collectors would be joining insurance administrators in trying to find more productive occupations that would provide greater value for our nation.

Medical bills can wreck credit, even when paid off

By Carla K. Johnson
Associated Press, March 4, 2012
The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that sponsors health care research, estimates that 22 million Americans were contacted by collection agencies for unpaid medical bills in 2005. That increased to 30 million Americans in 2010.
Surprisingly, even after the bills have been paid off, the record of the collection action can stay on a credit report for up to seven years, dragging down credit scores and driving up the cost of financing a home. An estimated 3.4 million Americans have paid-off medical debt lingering on their credit reports, according to the Access Project, a research group funded by health care foundations and advocates of tougher laws on medical debt collectors.
Medical bills make up the majority of collection actions on credit reports, and most are for less than $250, according to Federal Reserve Board research.
Matt Ernst, a vice president at Mortgage Lenders of America in Overland Park, Kan., said medical collections frequently turn up on credit reports.
“We see a ton of them,” Ernst said. They have an impact on financing, he said, but even he didn’t realize how much until he learned that someone with a FICO score of 680 — which is considered good, but not excellent — will see their score drop up to 65 points because of a medical collection.
“I didn’t know a medical collection would hammer it that hard,” Ernst said.
It’s a problem for insured and uninsured alike. Outright billing mistakes, confusion over whether a claim will be paid by insurance and disputes between insurance companies and doctors — all can lead to medical bills being sent to collection agencies.
http://news.yahoo.com/medical-bills-wreck-credit-even-paid-off-183216201.html

In 2010, 30 million Americans were contacted by collection agencies for unpaid medical bills. Even if paid off, the resulting reduction in scores on credit reports often have serious negative financial consequences because of the perceived lower level of creditworthiness.
Imagine this occurring with a health care financing system that provides first dollar coverage, as with a single payer national health program. It wouldn’t. Bill collectors would be joining insurance administrators in trying to find more productive occupations that would provide greater value for our nation.