Having a collection account on your credit report can bring down your credit score.
If you’ve discovered a collection from Medicredit on your report, or you’ve started getting phone calls from them, here’s a guide to getting a Medicredit collection removed from your credit report.
Who is Medicredit?
Medicredit, Inc. or Medicredit Corp is a debt collection agency located in Earth City, Missouri. They buy past-due medical debts for pennies on the dollar hoping to collect and make a profit.
You may see Medicredit Corp listed on your credit report as a collections account. This can happen if you owe a creditor money and they’ve hired someone to collect that money.
Medicredit Corp Collections
Medicredit collections can hurt your credit score and remain on your credit report for up to 7 years regardless of whether you pay it or not. Unfortunately, paying the collection could even lower your credit score.
However, it is possible to have it removed before 7 years and you may not even have to pay it.
(Debt collectors prefer that we didn’t tell you this, but it’s something you should know.)
Lexington Law is a credit repair company that helps people fix their credit. You may not even have to pay any of the debts on your credit report.
In addition to collections, Lexington Law will help you challenge (and possibly remove) other inaccurate information from your credit report. These items include inquiries, late payments, charge offs, foreclosures, repossessions, judgments, tax liens, and bankruptcies.
3 Ways to Remove Medicredit From Credit Report
Medicredit has a reputation for being an aggressive debt collector, and many consumer complaints say they’re difficult to work with.
If you have a Medicredit collection on your credit report, here are three steps to consider.
1. Verify the Debt Is Legitimate
First, you should always confirm that any alleged debt from a collection agency is legitimate. According to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, 1 in 5 Americans has an inaccuracy on their credit report, so don’t automatically assume a collection account is valid.
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), any debt collector must send you written validation of the debt within five days of contacting you about it.
If any of the information in their communication is inaccurate or incomplete, you have a legal right to get confirmation of the debt’s accuracy by sending them a debt validation letter.
By law, you have just 30 days after receiving written notice of the debt to send your debt validation letter. If Medicredit can’t verify the debt, they’re required by law to remove it from your credit report.
2. Dispute the Debt
You should follow this step regardless of whether the debt is valid or invalid.
Why? Because there’s always a chance, however slim, that Medicredit will remove the collection account if you press them on it.
Medicredit’s BBB profile says the company claims it averages over 200,000 consumer contacts a month. With so many accounts, there are bound to be mistakes and missing paperwork — two things that might work to your advantage.
Fortunately, disputing a debt is as easy as sending a letter — preferably by certified mail so you have a record that you sent it. You should also include any documentation that supports your claim.
If Medicredit can’t back up its claims, it must remove the account from your credit report. If it comes back with proof, however, you might still be able to negotiate a pay for delete.
3. Negotiate a Pay for Delete
Assuming Medicredit responds with proof that your debt is the real deal, you can try to negotiate a pay for delete. This means you agree to pay the debt in exchange for Medicredit removing it from your credit report.
If you go this route, remember to negotiate directly with Medicredit and not the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus will simply respond that they don’t have the authority to remove a negative item from your credit report, which is why you should always approach the creditor or collection agency.
You can ask for a pay for delete by sending a letter to Medicredit. In your letter, make it clear that you’re offering to pay in exchange for Medicredit deleting the collection account from your credit report.
Keep in mind, however, that the debt might still appear on your credit report as a separate account under the original creditor’s name. If this happens, you’ll need to contact the original creditor in a separate letter.
Can You Remove Medicredit Collection Accounts?
Yes! As a consumer, you can ask Medicredit to verify your debt. If they cannot prove your debt within 30-days, then they legally have to remove the negative item from your credit report.
Furthermore, you can negotiate a pay-for-delete. This means you will pay Medicredit an agreed-upon fee if they remove the collection from your credit report.
Finally, you can turn to a credit repair company to remove this negative item. Like we said, working with a professional is the best thing to do.
How Long will Medicredit Stay on My Credit Report?
Unfortunately, Medicredit can stay on your credit report for 7 years. This will hurt your credit score, which will hurt your personal finances.
A low credit score makes it harder for you to qualify for loans with favorable interest rates and could impact employment opportunities. Therefore you need to seek professional help (from Credit Saint) and get Medicredit removed from your credit report immediately.
What If the Medicredit Debt Is Invalid?
If the Medicredit collection is a mistake, you should dispute it. If it’s showing up on your credit report, you should send a dispute letter to both Medicredit and the credit bureau.
Should I Seek Professional Help to Remove Medicredit from My Credit Report?
While you can dispute negative items on your credit report on your own, some people prefer working with a credit repair company. This is a good option if you don’t have a lot of time to devote to the dispute process.
Before you sign on with a credit repair company, however, it’s important to do your homework. Not all credit repair companies deliver on their promises, and some are outright scams.
A reputable credit repair company can help you through the dispute process so you can reap the rewards of a better credit score.
Can I Pay the Original Creditor Instead of the Collection Agency?
By the time a debt is with a collection agency, it usually means the original creditor has sold the debt to the agency. In that scenario, the collection agency is the owner of the debt, so you should make your payment to the agency.
However, Medicredit states on its BBB profile page that it doesn’t actually purchase consumer debt. Instead, it claims that doctors and hospitals “refer” debts to Medicredit for collection.
In this case, the account should still be owned by the original creditor, which means you should work with your original creditor to get the debt deleted or paid.
On the other hand, don’t be surprised if the debt shows up on your credit report twice: once under your original creditor’s name and once under Medicredit’s name as a collection account.
If this happens, you should cover all your bases by disputing the debt with both Medicredit and the credit bureau.
If you decide to pay the debt, make sure you determine who actually owns the debt before you start to negotiate. Don’t send any money until you get an acknowledgement of ownership from the original creditor or Medicredit.
How Long Can Multiple Accounts Impact Your Credit?
A collection account will stay on your credit report for seven years. However, this time period can extend if you make a payment toward your debt before the seven years runs out.
If you have multiple accounts from Medicredit or another collection agency, each account can show up as its own line item on your report. The more collection accounts you have, the bigger the hit on your credit score.
How Long Can a Debt Collector Legally Pursue Old Debt?
Each state has its own laws that set a statute of limitations for how long a collection agency can sue a debtor in court.
These statutes of limitations range anywhere from three to 10 years after the start of the delinquency or the date of the last payment.
Does Medicredit Report to Credit Bureaus?
Medicredit reports to the three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
If you’re going to dispute a collection account, make sure to only dispute it with the bureaus that have it listed. For example, if a Medicredit collection only appears on your Experian report, you don’t need to file a dispute with Equifax or TransUnion.
How to File a Complaint Against Medicredit
Fortunately, as a United States citizen, you can file a formal complaint against Medicredit with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Filing a formal complaint against Medicredit, Inc provides insight to the CFPB about their business practices. The more details you can provide about your experience, the better. This helps the CFPB regulate consumer financial products and services under the law.
2 Quick Ways to Check Your Credit Score
There are two quick and easy ways to check your credit score. Best of all, they’re both free.
1. Discover Credit Scorecard
The Discover Credit Scorecard is free to anyone who signs up. Once you’re signed up, you can see your updated FICO® score once every 30 days.
There are no strings attached, and you don’t need to have a Discover card or account to participate.
2. Credit Karma
You can get access to your VantageScore if you sign up for a Credit Karma account. It doesn’t cost anything to join, but you’ll need to provide some personal information to verify your identity.
Credit Karma won’t show you your FICO® score, as it only uses the VantageScore credit scoring model. You will also start receiving offers for credit cards and similar products after you sign up.
Medicredit FAQs
We get a variety of questions about debt collection agencies. Here are some of the most frequently asked:
Can Medicredit Sue Me?
Yes, Medicredit could sue you in district court, asking a judge to force you to pay the debt. Unless your debt is substantial enough to justify the legal expenses, Medicredit probably will not sue you.
If the statute of limitations has expired on the debt, you could get the case dismissed easily. Statutes vary from state to state, with some as short as three years.
However, the debt would continue to harm your credit score even after the statute expired.
How Long Will Medicredit Stay on My Credit Report?
Medicredit could stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
Unpaid medical bills, especially when they’ve gone into collections, can harm your credit score and make getting loans and credit cards more complicated.
The higher your score, the more you have to lose by letting a Medicredit collections account linger in your credit history.
Is Medicredit a Scam?
No, this is a legitimate debt collection agency with its headquarters along the Missouri River northwest of St. Louis.
If you hear from Medicredit, chances are you have old medical bills, and your original debtor has sold your debt to this agency.
Of course, Medicredit may also have bad information, which makes validating the debt an important step.
Is Medicredit Graded by the BBB?
Medicredit has an A+ grade from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB gives the agency good marks for responding to customer complaints even when its responses are disputing customers’ claims.
How Can I Complain About Medicredit?
You can search for the company on the BBB’s Website, or you can complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is part of the Federal Trade Commission.
If you believe your consumer rights are being violated, contact the CFPB along with the Better Business Bureau.
Medicredit Corporation Contact Information
- Mailing Address: 111 Corporate Office Dr Ste 200 Earth City, MO 63045-1506
- Phone Number: (800) 888-2238
Remember, it is best to contact Medicredit Corporation via certified mail.
Check out this Video:
