I've been reading through posts for days refamiliarizing myself with the various tips and tools this wonderful forum has to offer. I first came here years ago for help and was able to clean up my credit reports, which makes this medical collection that is reporting all the more annoying to me.
Last year as part of a regular employment update, I learned that I had a collection against me for $128 from a local hospital. I contacted the hospital billing department and paid the bill (no choice- had to for work). The bill was legitimate- it was the difference between what my insurance covered for an ER visit and what was owed. This happened once before (same hospital several years ago), and once I paid the bill with the hospital, the CA dropped off my credit report; this time around, the status just changed to a paid collection.
I have opted out and deleted all possible addresses years ago; the address on this collection is my address of record. A couple of complications make me uncertain if I can even follow the WhyChat method:
I am working from a copy of my free annual credit report from June 1, 2011 (I know the account is still reporting because I have USAA credit monitoring). I plan to order a new copy in June but I am overseas for the next year and so would prefer to be able to take the online report. I could have the printed report send to my US address of record (mom's house) and then forwarded on to me but that will add a lot of time to every step of the process. I can have the report sent directly to me here (APO address) but I really don't want to give the CRAs another address to report especially since I have no tradelines or anything tied to this transient address (my billing address for everything remains Mom's house).
I've been told by my post office here that I cannot send anything return receipt requested and so don't know if that negates much of the process. I don't have an urgent need to get this collection deleted (no car or mortgage plans any time soon) but it does torment me to know it is there. Since it is only reporting to one CRA, I don't know if it will be easier to get removed than if it were on all three? The tradeline from the TU report clearly names the hospital as the original creditor- I'm unclear if that is a violation in and of itself?
Any guidance would be appreciated!