There may be a time in your life where you are injured or have an illness that keeps you under medical attention for a prolonged period of time. Even if you have insurance, there are co-pays and other expenses you may have lingering that go unpaid because you are strapped for cash. Once these mounting bills pile up, they may be referred out to a collections agency. Once this happens, chances are they will also make an appearance on your credit report. This could adversely affect your credit report in a number of ways.

What Happens after a Medical Bill Shows Up?

If there is a medical bill on your credit report, the first order of business is to find out your current credit score. It is important to note that you have more than one credit score, and there are a few consumer reporting companies that obtain and disseminate information about you.

How can I Get my Credit Score?

There are a few ways to accomplish this.

Credit card or loan company

Many companies have started to provide this service to their customers, listing the current credit score on their monthly statements. You may also be able to log into your online account and find it there.

Buy it

You can go to a credit reporting agency, or use a service that allows you to extract your information from all three main agencies for a fee, or through a program that helps you obtain your credit report once a year for free.

Non-profit counselors

There are a number of non-profit credit counselors and other counselors under a housing agency that can provide a free credit report and your score. These people also work to help you obtain housing and other federally-funded programs to obtain what you want.

How to Dispute your Credit Score

If you want to dispute the medical bills on your credit report, there are a number of things you can do. First, you want to gather all documentation that demonstrates the bill was paid. Also, send a written notice to all the credit bureaus that are reporting the error in question. Be as detailed as you can so they will understand why this should be flagged and removed. Make sure to keep in touch with these bureaus and monitor their progress on your claim.

In a number of instances, using a service that can help you rebuild your credit after erroneous reporting is key. Even if you have gone through some tough financial times, there is always a way to move past that and positively work towards your future. Knowing there is a resource available can give you peace of mind and help you in making that first step. For more information on building your future, contact the team at Build My Scores today!