This is good advice, and appreciate the link to state regulations on balance billing. Medical billing is extraordinarily confusing for consumers. (Even the professionals can have a tough time figuring it out!) Hoping you guys are successful in bringing some clarity and simplicity to the system.

Confused, This is terrible. I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. I wonder if your Senator or Congressional Representative's office will help go to bat for you to get this cleared. It may be worth a shot. I am so sorry you are going through this on top of the stress you are under serving our country.

I once found a ding on my credit report because I closed out a checking account but the bank didn't tell me I had to separately close out my overdraft line of credit which carried a $10 over limit fee. I found out when it hit my credit report as a collection item! Fortunately the bank cleared it up but it was definitely a hassle.

Darn, the video was removed before I got a chance to watch it!

Randy, you couldn't have raised a better issue...one that hasn't been given nearly enough attention. I've seen loan officer training programs encouraging them to work with credit damaged borrowers and charge the maximum legally allowable origination fee -- that's 10% here in Florida! Supposedly the borrower is happy and so is the loan officer. But we know now there are a lot of very unhappy borrowers out there facing foreclosure.

My information on that point comes directly from an executive at Fair Issac, creator of the popular FICO scores, who tells me that when an account is listed on the credit report as under dispute the negative entry will not affect your score. If it is not resolved in your favor it will affect your score in the future of course.

I recently spoke with a woman whose credit had been ruined because of a car accident. She has good medical insurance and health insurance, but the insurers wouldn't pay until the insurance settlements were straightened out...the medical providers charged her off in the meantime...and it was her credit that took the hit. To me that is completely wrong.

The gerbils themselves are just a few dollars. But as a pet parent to several of them, I can attest the gerbil cost is only the beginning. Ours were donated by a relative in a glass aquarium with a screened top -- important because they have chewed through every plastic and wood item put in their cage including exercise wheels and PVC pipe. Add the food, bedding, water bottle and even the occaisional vet bill and it really does add up quickly!