How to Remove Medical Debt from Your Credit Report

Medical debt is one of the most common and most unfair items on credit reports. The good news: the rules have changed significantly in recent years in consumers favor.

What Changed with Medical Debt Reporting

As of 2023, the three major credit bureaus — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax — agreed to remove paid medical collections from credit reports. Medical collections under $500 were also removed from credit reports in 2023.

Additionally, there is an ongoing push to remove all medical debt from credit reports entirely. The CFPB has proposed rules that would eliminate medical debt from credit scoring models.

Steps to Remove Medical Debt from Your Report

1. Check if it should already be gone. Pull your reports and look for medical collections. Any paid medical collection or medical collection under $500 should have been removed already. If it has not, file a dispute immediately.

2. Verify the debt is valid. Request debt validation from the collection agency. Medical billing errors are extremely common — you may not owe what they claim.

3. Check the statute of limitations. In Arizona, the statute of limitations on medical debt is typically 6 years. Old medical debts may not be legally collectible.

4. Negotiate a pay-for-delete. If the debt is valid and within the statute, negotiate with the collection agency to remove it from your report in exchange for payment.

5. Dispute errors. If the amount, dates, or creditor information is wrong — dispute it. Medical billing errors are among the most common credit report errors.

CreditGM can help you identify and dispute medical debt on your credit report. Get your free analysis today.