What changed — and when
Medical debt reporting has been changing rapidly. Here's the sequence of significant changes:
2022 — The Big Three voluntary changes: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion announced they would:
- Remove medical collection accounts that had been paid (effective immediately)
- Stop reporting medical collection accounts under $500 (effective March 2023)
- Extend the time before unpaid medical collections appear on credit reports from 6 months to 12 months
These changes were voluntary — not legally mandated — but all three bureaus implemented them.
2023 — VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 9: These scoring models had already reduced the weight of medical collections. FICO 8, still the most widely used, continued to treat medical collections similarly to other collections.
2025 — CFPB rule: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule banning medical debt from credit reports entirely for the purpose of credit decisions. The rule applies to consumer reporting agencies and was set to take effect in 2025. It would prohibit medical bills from appearing on credit reports used for credit determinations.
Important caveat: Rule implementation, legal challenges, and enforcement timelines matter. Check the CFPB website (consumerfinance.gov) for the current status of this rule, as it has faced legal challenges following its finalization.
What medical debt can still appear
Even with the CFPB's 2025 rule, the situation is not completely clean for all consumers:
Medical debt that became a general collections account: If a medical debt was sold to a third-party collector and reported as a general collection (without clear medical debt coding), it may not be easily distinguished from non-medical debt on your report.
Medical debt that became a judgment: If a provider sued you and obtained a civil judgment for medical debt, the judgment (not the underlying medical debt) could appear in public records if it meets the data completeness requirements under NCAP standards.
Debt with incorrect coding: Some medical debt is reported without proper medical coding, making it invisible to systems designed to filter or exclude medical debt.
Unpaid medical collections before the rule takes full effect: Depending on timing and enforcement, some unpaid accounts may still be reporting.
What to do if medical debt is still showing
Step 1: Identify the account. Pull your reports from all three bureaus. Look for collection accounts from hospitals, physicians, ambulance services, labs, and medical billing companies. The furnisher name is usually the collection agency, not the provider.
Step 2: Determine the account type. Call the collection agency listed on the report and ask: is this debt medical in nature? Get confirmation in writing if possible.
Step 3: File a dispute. For any medical collection that should have been removed under the 2022 voluntary changes or the 2025 CFPB rule, dispute it with each bureau. Your dispute should state: this account is a medical collection account that no longer meets the current reporting standards under CFPB guidelines and bureau policy changes.
For accounts under $500 that should have been removed in 2023, note the balance in your dispute.
For paid medical collections, note that it was paid and attach payment documentation.
Step 4: File a CFPB complaint if the bureau doesn't remove it. If a medical collection account that clearly doesn't meet current reporting standards remains on your report after a dispute, file a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint against the bureau. Cite the applicable standard.
Score impact of medical debt removal
FICO 8 (the most widely used model) does not distinguish medical from non-medical collections. If a medical collection is removed from your report under the new standards, FICO 8 treats that removal the same as any other collection removal — your score improves to reflect the absence of that negative item.
FICO 9 and VantageScore 4.0 had already been giving medical debt less weight, so the score improvement from removal may be more modest for consumers whose lenders use those models.
Protecting yourself going forward
With the reporting landscape around medical debt changing, it's worth checking your reports more frequently than once per year. Weekly free reports are available at AnnualCreditReport.com through at least the near term (the bureaus expanded access during the pandemic and have continued it). Use this access to catch any medical collection account that appears before it affects a major credit decision.
Your next step
Pull your credit reports today. Search for any collection accounts from medical providers or medical billing companies. If any medical collections are showing that should have been removed, file a dispute at each bureau where they appear and cite the applicable standard. Keep the collection company's name and account number so you can contact them directly if the bureau dispute doesn't resolve it.