Your Rights: Medical Debt

// your rights

Three statutes. Three tools.

You do not need a law degree to remove medical debt. You need three federal statutes and the letters that exercise them.

// statute 01

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) — 15 U.S.C. Section 1681

Gives you the right to dispute any item on your credit report that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. The bureau must investigate within 30 days and remove the item if they cannot verify it.

Key sections:

• Section 1681i — Right to dispute (30-day investigation)
• Section 1681j — Right to free credit report after dispute
• Section 1681s-2 — Furnisher duties (accurate reporting)

Use the FCRA dispute letter template

// statute 02

HIPAA — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Governs how healthcare providers can share your medical information. If a provider shared your information with a collection agency without proper authorization, you can file a HIPAA complaint and use it as grounds for dispute.

Key provisions:

• 45 CFR 164.502 — Limits on disclosure of health information
• 45 CFR 164.508 — Authorization requirements
• OCR complaint at hhs.gov/ocr

Use the HIPAA validation letter

// statute 03

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) — 15 U.S.C. Section 1692

Gives you the right to request debt validation within 30 days of first contact. If the agency cannot validate, they must cease collection and remove the tradeline.

Key sections:

• Section 1692g — Right to dispute and validate (30-day window)
• Section 1692e — Prohibits false representations
• Section 1692c — Limits on communication

Use the FDCPA validation letter template