Have you been dealing with what seems to be endless phone calls and harassment from Medicredit? Learning about Medicredit and what you can do about the harassment are the first steps toward easing your stress.
Medicredit Corp. is a collection agency and bill-paying platform for medical bills. If you’ve received a call from Medicredit about an alleged debt, it’s important that you seek as much confirmation as possible and avoid releasing personal information unless it is absolutely necessary.
Medicredit, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Outsource Group, is not a BBB-accredited organization, but maintains facilities in multiple locations, including three in Missouri (Columbia, Earth City, and Saint Louis). The Better Business Bureau alone has received over 260 complaints about Medicredit in the past three years, most of which pertain to billing and collection issues, as well as numerous allegations that the company “contacted individuals in error, failed to remove their names from its database, failed to provide consumers with copies of unpaid debt, and refusal to remove debt that has been paid.” Nevertheless, the group claims that it averages about 2.4 million contacts per year and merely contacts individuals about debts rather than purchase debts from clients, physicians, or hospitals.
A request from an alleged debt-collector for your Social Security Number over the phone should be an immediate red flag. Never divulge such personal information over the phone, and remember that there is absolutely no legal obligation to do so. If you are asked for your Social Security Number, one option is to ask for the caller’s first and last name, the company from which they are calling, and the account number that the call is for; failure to adequately answer these questions is an immediate cause for suspicion. You may also insist that any requests for personal information be made in writing.
Have you been dealing with what seems to be endless phone calls and harassment from Medicredit? Learning about Medicredit and what you can do about the harassment are the first steps toward easing your stress.
Medicredit Corp. is a collection agency and bill-paying platform for medical bills. If you’ve received a call from Medicredit about an alleged debt, it’s important that you seek as much confirmation as possible and avoid releasing personal information unless it is absolutely necessary.
Medicredit, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Outsource Group, is not a BBB-accredited organization, but maintains facilities in multiple locations, including three in Missouri (Columbia, Earth City, and Saint Louis). The Better Business Bureau alone has received over 260 complaints about Medicredit in the past three years, most of which pertain to billing and collection issues, as well as numerous allegations that the company “contacted individuals in error, failed to remove their names from its database, failed to provide consumers with copies of unpaid debt, and refusal to remove debt that has been paid.” Nevertheless, the group claims that it averages about 2.4 million contacts per year and merely contacts individuals about debts rather than purchase debts from clients, physicians, or hospitals.
A request from an alleged debt-collector for your Social Security Number over the phone should be an immediate red flag. Never divulge such personal information over the phone, and remember that there is absolutely no legal obligation to do so. If you are asked for your Social Security Number, one option is to ask for the caller’s first and last name, the company from which they are calling, and the account number that the call is for; failure to adequately answer these questions is an immediate cause for suspicion. You may also insist that any requests for personal information be made in writing.