Three rules protect you today, and they came from the bureaus themselves, not Washington. Since 2022-2023, the three national credit bureaus do not report paid medical collections at all, do not report medical collections under $500, and wait a full year after an account goes to collections before it can appear. If a paid medical bill or a $300 ER copay collection is sitting on your report right now, that’s an error you can dispute and potentially sue over.
One update you may have heard about and should un-hear: the CFPB finalized a rule in January 2025 that would have removed all medical debt from credit reports. A federal court in Texas vacated that rule in July 2025 (Cornerstone Credit Union League v. CFPB, E.D. Tex.), so it never took effect. As of mid-2026, that ruling stands. The three bureau policies above are voluntary but remain in place.
So what medical debt can still appear on my report?
Unpaid medical collections of $500 or more, once they’re at least a year old. Everything else on your report that’s medical should make you suspicious: paid collections, sub-$500 collections, and anything that showed up faster than 12 months after the provider sent it to collections.
What are the most common medical debt errors?
Insurance actually paid it. That’s the big one. Billing offices send balances to collections while a claim is still processing, and the collection stays on the report after the insurer pays. We also see wrong amounts, duplicate collections for the same visit reported by two agencies, other people’s bills (medical files mix names badly), and re-aged dates that make old bills look fresh.
How do I get an erroneous medical collection removed?
Dispute it in writing with each bureau reporting it, with proof: the insurance explanation of benefits, the payment record, or the billing statement. The bureau has 30 days under the FCRA to investigate. Full instructions and the current bureau addresses are in our dispute guide.
If the collection comes back “verified” and it’s still wrong, you can sue under the FCRA for actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000 for willful violations, and attorney’s fees. And if a collector is calling about medical debt you don’t owe, that can separately violate the FDCPA; see our debt harassment page.
Does unpaid medical debt affect my credit score?
Less than it used to. Newer scoring models weight medical collections lighter than other collections, and some ignore them. But most lenders still use older models, so a wrongly reported medical collection can still cost you a mortgage rate. Don’t let “it counts less now” talk you out of disputing an error.
FAQ
I paid a medical collection. When does it come off my report? It shouldn’t be on there at all. The bureaus stopped reporting paid medical collections in 2022. Dispute it.
Can a hospital bill under $500 be on my credit report? Not as a medical collection under current bureau policy. If it’s there, dispute it.
Did the 2025 rule removing all medical debt survive? No. A federal court vacated the CFPB’s rule in July 2025. The bureau policies (paid, under-$500, one-year wait) still stand.
By John C. Hubbard, Consumer Protection Attorney · Last reviewed July 2, 2026
This article is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case depends on its facts.