I got a letter saying I owed about $60 for a medical bill. It came from a third party debt collector that handles missed billing for the hospital. I checked my patient portal and did not see an active bill, so I called the hospital’s billing office. They confirmed the bill and I could pay them directly. I paid the balance to the hospital and got a receipt.
The hospital told me they would instruct the third party to stop contacting me. They also said the third party they use does not report to the credit bureaus.
Now I am trying to figure out what this means for my security clearance. The account was small and I paid the provider, not the agency. As of now it is not showing as a collection on my credit. I want to be transparent and handle this the right way. I also do not want to over report something that I think never became a true collection.
I’m in a transition period—technically not employed right now and starting my new job in May. For clearance reporting, should I notify my previous company’s FSO (since they were my last sponsor), or wait and report to my new company’s FSO once they officially become my sponsor? I’m looking for best practice here so I handle it by the book while avoiding duplicate or unnecessary reports.
I think you have to self report it if it’s over a threshold (like $500) but not positive. If you’re not sure, you should ask your security officer. that’s what they’re there for.
and it should not. unless I’m mistaken, medical collections are not allowed to be put on your credit report or score.
If you are currently unemployed then you do not have an active clearance and there is no reporting requirement. Generally, one minor paid collection is nothing to worry about. In May when you start your new job if they ask you to fill out a new SF-86 you report it then.
Does this mean that if I travel internationally in December, before starting my new job, I wouldn’t need to report it until after I begin? I was under the impression that even after finishing my summer internship, I’d still have to report foreign travel because I already have a Secret clearance even if it isn’t in active status but in current status. Also, since I’ll be changing companies from where I interned at and won’t start the new one until May, should I wait until then to report, or do I still need to report it now?
Hang on to any correspondence in case it does come up. It can be difficult to get collectors to let go of things like this so you may need documentation in case they keep coming after you.