How to Remove Medical Bills from Your Credit Report 

(Even If You Already Paid Them)

Few things feel more unfair than medical debt ruining your credit—especially when the last thing on your mind was your credit score. You were focused on your health, not your FICO score. And yet, months later, a surprise collection pops up from a bill you barely remember getting.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone—and here’s the truth: medical debt is one of the most common and most fixable credit problems out there. In fact, new credit reporting rules have made it easier than ever to remove medical bills from your credit report—especially if they’re old, already paid, or under $500.

So, whether you’re recovering from a surgery or simply recovering your score, this guide is your roadmap. In the next few steps, you’ll learn how to verify, dispute, and remove medical collections the smart way—no stress, no legal jargon, no guesswork.

Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Get a Full Picture of Your Credit Report

Before you can clean things up, you need to see what’s really there. Use a trusted monitoring tool like SmartCredit.com to pull your reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

Look for any accounts labeled as:

  • Medical collections
  • Charged-off medical debt
  • Hospital or healthcare providers

Write down:

  • The date the debt was reported
  • The balance
  • The collection agency name
  • Whether it’s marked as paid or unpaid

Step 2: Know the New Rules That Protect You

As of 2023, major credit bureaus made big changes to how medical debt is reported:

✅ Paid medical collections must be removed from your credit report.
✅ Unpaid medical collections under $500 are no longer included.
✅ You now have 1 full year before unpaid medical bills can show up in collections.

So if your bill is paid, under $500, or under a year old—you may not have to do anything. But if it’s still showing? Let’s move to the next step.

Step 3: Dispute Any Medical Debt That Shouldn’t Be There

If the bill violates the rules above—or has errors—dispute it directly with the credit bureaus. You can do this online or by mail. Be sure to include:

  • A short, clear explanation
  • Any proof of payment
  • Copies of bills, letters, or insurance statements

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the bureaus have 30 days to verify the debt or remove it.

Step 4: Contact the Collection Agency (If Needed)

If the debt is valid and not protected under the newer rules, contact the agency and ask for a goodwill deletion—especially if you’ve already paid it.

You can also try negotiating a pay-for-delete agreement before settling, but always get it in writing first.

Step 5: Monitor, Rebuild, and Protect

After the dispute or deletion request, follow up using SmartCredit to confirm it’s removed.

Then stay proactive:

  • Pay current bills on time
  • Use a secured credit card to rebuild
  • Keep your utilization low



Wrap-Up

Medical bills can feel overwhelming—but they don’t have to define your credit future. With the right strategy, updated laws on your side, and tools like SmartCredit to track your progress, you can clean up your report and move forward with confidence.

You handled the medical part. Now let’s get your credit back in shape.