Is it illegal to put overdue medical bills on a credit report?

In most cases, medical debt cannot be reported on a credit report until it meets the following requirements:

- The initial unpaid balance of the bill is at least $500

- The bill is at least 180 days past due

- The debt has been sent to a collections agency

- The collections agency has made an effort to contact you to resolve the debt

- You have not disputed the bill in writing

If you can prove that the debt is not valid or that it has already been paid, you can dispute the bill with the credit reporting agency. If you are successful in disputing the debt, it will be removed from your credit report.