Dealing directly with OC rather than CA?

[AngryWithNJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

After having recently performed a credit check, I discovered that an unpaid medical bill was sent to a CA. After contacting the CA, they informed me that they will not remove the entry in my credit history; they will only update it as paid, if, in fact, I do pay the amount. Additionally, they will not negotiate the amount owed. The amount owed is less than $500.

My question is: Since the CA refuses to budge on the amount that needs to be paid and how it is reported in my credit report, could it be more beneficial, to me, to deal directly with the OC, which happens to be a doctor? If I agree to pay, in full, the doctor's office directly (instead of the CA), could I ask the office to report to the CA that the account was sent to them in error? If they do that, is the CA required to update to the CRAs of this which would therefore result in the removal of this debt collection from my credit report?

My goal is to have the debt collection entry removed from my credit history which the CA refuses to do. Basically, I want to know if cutting a deal with the doctor could help with this objective.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Zigner]

The debt no longer "belongs" to the doctor...and, even if it does, and you do pay the doc directly, the doc will STILL have to pay a percentage to the CA.
Nobody is under any obligation to remove accurate information from your CR.

 

[AngryWithNJ]

Nobody is under any obligation to remove accurate information from your CR.

You wrote that as if that was my contention or operating assumption. If I had written or implied something to the effect of "...those butt-holes at the CA won't remove the entry from my CR..." then your above reply would be relevant.

 

[ecmst12]

The doctor telling the CA that your account was sent to them in error would also be inaccurate. And it would not get the debt off your credit report. If the CA now owns the debt, then you CAN'T pay the OC. They wouldn't have anywhere to put your payment in their books - they already sold the debt and wrote off the difference.

 

[Zigner]

You say this:

You wrote that as if that was my contention or operating assumption. If I had written or implied something to the effect of "...those butt-holes at the CA won't remove the entry from my CR..." then your above reply would be relevant.

Yet your original post states (twice) that you are trying to have accurate information removed from your CR.

My question is: Since the CA refuses to budge on the amount that needs to be paid and how it is reported in my credit report, could it be more beneficial, to me, to deal directly with the OC, which happens to be a doctor? If I agree to pay, in full, the doctor's office directly (instead of the CA), could I ask the office to report to the CA that the account was sent to them in error? If they do that, is the CA required to update to the CRAs of this which would therefore result in the removal of this debt collection from my credit report?

My goal is to have the debt collection entry removed from my credit history which the CA refuses to do. Basically, I want to know if cutting a deal with the doctor could help with this objective.