Lexington Law Responds to the Significant Shift in How Credit Reporting Companies Will Operate
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) March 16, 2015 -- Lexington Law, a consumer advocacy law firm and trusted leader in credit report repair, responds in favor to the agreement announced on Monday by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, to adopt major changes that aim to improve consumers’ credit scores.
Among other things, the agreement addresses late medical-bill payments and the handling of customer complaints. Under the new agreement, set to take effect within the next several months, the credit reporting agencies have agreed to delay inclusion of any unpaid medical bills in a credit report for six months, giving both consumers and insurance companies more time to take care of payment. Additionally, consumers will no longer have to wait for the medical debt to be removed from their credit report. Credit reporting companies will erase the item after the debt has been paid.
“This agreement codifies what consumers have known all along about medical debt. Just when you think your insurance company is finalizing a payment, you suddenly find that the bill has been sent off for collections,” said Dr. Randy Padawer, consumer advocate for Lexington Law. “That single event can destroy your credit score, financial reputation, and ability to qualify for a new car, home, or even a credit card. Even worse, since so many prospective employers check credit reports these days, this can even negatively impact employment.”
More than 43 million Americans have delinquent medical debt on their credit reports, according to a recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This amounts to one in five credit reports being adversely affected. Moreover, the CFPB found that some 15 million consumers would have no collection items on their credit reports if not for the medical debt on these reports.
Padawer continues, “Going forward, the six-month delay in credit reporting for medical debts will likely protect a good number of consumers from these kinds of abuses.”
About Lexington Law
Lexington Law is a consumer advocacy law firm with decades of experience, helping hundreds of thousands of Americans work to improve their credit. The firm comprises the largest network of credit repair professionals in the U.S., employing attorneys and paralegals/agents across 19 states. By leveraging consumer rights to resolve issues with creditors, data furnishers and credit bureaus, Lexington works to ensure that client credit reports are fair, accurate, and substantiated. For details about Lexington Law’s services or attorneys, please visit: http://www.lexingtonlaw.com.
Celeste Edmunds, PR Coordinator, Credit Repair, http://www.creditrepair.com, +1 (801) 657-9088, [email protected]
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