 TITLE: How Does Medical Debt Affect Your Credit Score? CONTENT: Do Medical Bills Hurt Your Credit?\n----------------------------------\nMedical bills will not affect your credit as long as you pay them. However, medical debt is handled a little differently than other types of consumer debt. Since most health care providers don't report to credit bureaus, your debt would have to be sold to a collection agency before appearing on your credit report. Most medical providers won't sell the debt to a collection agency until you are 60, 90 or even 120 days or more past due. Exactly when that happens depends on your health care provider.\nEven after your bill goes to collections, the account won't show up on your credit report right away. The three main consumer credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax—give you a 180-day waiting period to resolve any medical debt before the collection account appears in your credit history, so medical bills won't impact your credit score right away.\nCredit bureaus provide this grace period because medical bills are a unique type of debt. Even if you have health insurance and the bill is for a covered expense, you may have to wait months for your insurance company to approve and issue payment to the health care provider. A simple coding or billing error can slow the payment process even more. The 180-day grace period gives you some time to correct any errors and gives the insurance company's payment time to make its way through the system. It also gives you time to set up a payment plan, if necessary.\nThis doesn't mean you should ignore a medical bill. Unpaid medical bills may take a long time to show up on your credit report, but the damage to your credit score can be long-lasting once they do. Unpaid medical bills can remain on your credit report for seven years after they become delinquent.\nQuick action is key to preventing a medical bill from damaging your credit score. As soon as you get a medical bill, review it to make sure it's accurate. Contact your insurance company and health care provider to resolve any problems; follow up vigilantly until you know the bill has been paid. If the bill isn't covered by your insurance and you're afraid you'll have trouble paying it, talk to your health care provider to see if you can work out an alternative solution. If your medical bills are overwhelming, you may look into getting help from a medical billing advocate or financial assistance from a charity or government program (more on that later). END