You may be wondering what a judge’s decision to vacate a rule about medical debt and credit reports means for your money. According to CNN, a judge said the Biden-era rule keeping medical debt off credit reports exceeded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s authority under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
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Here are some things to do now in the wake of this ruling.
Also see six places that could get rid of your medical debt.
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What the Ruling Means
The overturning of this rule means that unpaid medical bills will remain on credit reports.
According to CNN, when the ruling was issued, the bureau said those who have medical debt on their credit reports could have seen an average 20-point increase in their credit scores. Additionally, the rule could have led to the approval of about 22,000 more mortgages each year.
Further, the rule was expected to have removed nearly $50 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of around 15 million people, per CNN. Some consumers were also hopeful the rule would have banned lenders from using part of their medical information in loan decisions.
Proponents of overturning the bill claim that it would harm the accuracy of credit reports and increase financial system risks, per CNN.
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What You Can Do Now
Even with this rule overturned, you still have options for trying to deal with unpaid medical debt and removing it from your credit report.
Dispute Debt
As noted by CBS News, one step may be to dispute medical bills you don’t actually owe. After all, errors in billing and reporting are common in healthcare.
Look Into Debt Settlement
You may be able to negotiate a settlement for less than the full amount owed. Be sure to put any agreement in writing before you send in that payment.
Explore Financial Assistance Options
Now may be a great time to look into assistance options for paying your medical bills. Many healthcare providers offer at least some type of assistance that may help you.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: US Rule Keeping Medical Debt Off Credit Reports Is Now Gone: 3 Things To Do Now
