Medical debt on your credit report in 2026: what must come off (and how to force it)
The federal rule banning medical debt from credit reports was struck down in 2025, but three protections still apply nationwide, and 15 states ban medical debt on reports entirely. Which medical collections must be removed, how to get them deleted in 30 days, and what to do about a bill that should never have been sent to collections.
- Since 2023 the three bureaus don't report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or any medical collection less than a year old. That is a voluntary industry policy, still in force in 2026, and a dispute citing it gets those items removed.
- The CFPB's 2025 rule that would have banned all medical debt from reports was vacated by a federal court in July 2025. It never took effect.
- State laws fill the gap: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Virginia, Washington and others prohibit reporting medical debt at all. If you live in one of them, any medical collection on your report is disputable.
- Newer FICO and VantageScore models ignore or heavily discount medical collections, so even a reported one may not be hurting the score lenders use.
- Before it hits your report: a bill in collections can often still be reduced or wiped by hospital financial assistance, retroactively. See hospital charity care.
What applies right now (2026)
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Rule | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Paid medical collections removed | In force (bureau policy since 2022) | Pay it, then dispute for deletion |
| Medical collections under $500 not reported | In force (since April 2023) | Anything under $500 should not appear; dispute it |
| 365-day waiting period before reporting | In force | A medical collection less than a year old must come off |
| CFPB rule banning all medical debt | Vacated July 11, 2025 | No federal ban |
| State bans (CA, CO, CT, IL, MN, NY, VA, WA, and more) | In force in those states | Any medical debt on your report is disputable |
| Medical debt in credit scores | FICO 9/10 and VantageScore 3/4 ignore paid and reduce unpaid medical collections | Mortgage lenders often still use older FICO models, so removal matters |
How to get a medical collection removed
- Identify it on all three reports (free at AnnualCreditReport.com). Medical collections show the collector's name; the original provider is usually listed in the details.
- Check the four grounds: under $500, less than 365 days from the date of service/delinquency, already paid, or you live in a state that bans reporting. Any one of them is enough.
- Dispute with each bureau in writing (template: credit report dispute letter), citing the specific ground: "This medical collection is under $500 and must not be reported under the bureaus' 2023 medical debt reporting policy" or "Reporting medical debt is prohibited in [State] under [statute]". Attach proof of payment or the itemized bill.
- Dispute with the collector too, and send a validation request if it's within 30 days of their first notice.
- Not removed in 30 days → CFPB complaint, then an FCRA attorney (they take these on contingency; statutory damages apply).
If the bill itself is wrong or unaffordable
A medical collection is often the last step of a bill that should never have reached collections:
- Insurance should have paid: ask the provider to re-bill, and file an appeal with your insurer. Collectors must pause while a billing dispute is open with many hospitals.
- The bill has errors: request the itemized bill and dispute duplicate or wrong codes. See hospital bill errors.
- You qualified for financial assistance: nonprofit hospitals must screen you before extraordinary collection actions, and most accept charity care applications up to 240 days after the first bill, some years later. Approval can zero the balance, and the hospital must then recall the collection. See charity care.
- Surprise out-of-network bill: often illegal under the No Surprises Act; see surprise medical bills.
States that ban or restrict medical debt on credit reports
As of 2026: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington have laws barring or limiting medical debt reporting (details vary: some ban furnishing, some make reported medical debt void). Check your state attorney general's site for the current statute; new states are added most years.
FAQ
The collection is over $500 and more than a year old, and I'm not in a protected state
You can still dispute inaccuracies (wrong amount, wrong dates, not yours), negotiate a pay-for-delete in writing, or pay it and then dispute for deletion under the paid-medical-debt policy.
Does a medical collection affect renting an apartment?
Landlords often use older scoring models where it counts. Removing it is worth the 30 minutes.
The collector says the $500 threshold doesn't apply to them
The threshold is a bureau policy about what they accept, not a collector policy. Dispute with the bureau directly.