How Does Medical Debt Impact Your Credit Score?
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Learn How Medical Debt Impacts Your Credit Score.
Unpaid medical bills are written off by doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers and sent to collections agencies.
Collections agencies then report the debt to the big three Credit Bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. The Credit Bureaus then send that data to the two credit scoring companies: FICO and VantageScore.
The problem with this process is that 80% of medical bills are incorrect, so the debt and its impact on a person's credit score is incorrect as well.
Medical Debt can frequently decrease a credit score by 50-110 points
The Federal Government has tried to decrease this impact of medical debt on credit scores by pressuring the Credit Bureaus to no longer record medical debt of less than $500.
This change occurred in 2023 and resulted in the percent of Americans with medical debt on their credit rating decreasing from 14% to 5%.
VantageScore even voluntarily stopped counting ALL medical debt when calculating a person's credit score.
However, FICO--which is used by by 90% of lenders--still counts medical debt greater than $500 against a person's credit score.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is trying to ban all medial debt from being used in a person's credit score, but as of August 2025, no official regulatory change has occurred.
Sources:
www.cnbc.com/s...
www.consumerfi...
files.consumer...
www.capitalone...
www.forbes.com...
www.nbcchicago....
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When I started watching the video I was sure that I was going to be able to critique your analysis but you were 100% spot on!!!!! 😊
Thank you for watching and for your feedback.
I didn't realize it was as bad as 80% of medical bills are wrong but I believe it. I basically have to handhold the billing department to get the numbers right, and the correct people to talk to are hidden behinds dozens of phone calls with unhelpful people.
I was billed $3000 during an ER visit after the hospital had taken my insurance. I paid it and complained afterward and they agreed it should only be my $200 copay, but they didn't reimburse me the difference for 3 months. I gave the hospital a free $3k loan for 3 months. And I know most people have it far worse. It's ridiculous. :(
Thank you for sharing your experience.
@@ahealthcarez Dr. Bricker, what is your recommendation when we receive a bill that's wrong, but which the provider will not correct before the due date? I too paid a medical bill I had an issue with, but I had used my HSA debit card. It lacks a chargeback option, so I could not dispute the charge the way I would do with an ordinary credit card. I know that generally it's a bad idea to use a credit card for medical bills because it transforms "medical debt" into "credit card debt" and one loses some government protections that way. Now I am going through all the rounds of insurance appeals but it takes extraordinary time and energy. Is there an easier way?
As a Scandinavian Minnesotan, America is making something that need not be complex or a problem at all into a complex problem. It’s time we join every other developed nation and found a universal, single payor healthcare system. Healthcare is a basic human right.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
The debt discussion is kind of an interesting one. If you are a working class in the US, chances are you believe there is some moral obligation to pay your debts, and creditors take advantage of this. Meanwhile rich people restructure their debts, go to bankruptcy court, and sometimes just default on purpose for the sake of avoiding taxes. Debt transfers the risk to the creditor, and I don't think people quite fully understand that. If you buy a car and default on the car payment, that is the creditor's problem and you haven't done anything immoral for failing to pay.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I know people who refuse to pay even their legitimate debt hoping to negotiate with collectors and relying on the expectation that it will not harm their credit score.
I’m sure. Thank you for watching.
Good Morning,
Can you recommend 3 books that have helped you learn about the business of healthcare ? I know you have a lot of experience in the field which also is where you get you knowledge from but, I want to get ahead of the curve I am fairly young (mid 20's)
The Hospital by Alexander
Price We Pay by Makary
Priced Out by Reinhardt