How To Deal With Capio Partners Debt Collection

Capio Partners LLC is a third-party debt collection agency. They focus primarily on collecting past-due medical debt. If Capio Partners contacts you, make sure they validate the debt in writing before you do anything else. If the debt amount is wrong or you don’t owe the debt, dispute it. If you agree that you owe the debt, you can try to set up a payment plan or negotiate a debt settlement to pay less than the full amount you owe.

What Is Capio Partners LLC?

Capio Partners LLC is a third-party debt collection agency that specializes in collecting medical and healthcare debt. The company is headquartered in Sherman, Texas and also has offices in Lawrenceville, Georgia. They collect debts from people across the United States. They have been in business since 2008.

Why Is Capio Partners Contacting Me?

Capio Partners is probably contacting you to collect on past-due medical debt. Think hospital bills or ambulance charges. Capio likely purchased your debt from a healthcare provider, hospital, or doctor’s office. That’s why you’re hearing from Capio now instead of the medical facility you originally visited.

Medical providers usually contact patients several times to get them to pay. After some time, these companies charge off the debt. They sell the collection account to a third party. At that point, the debt collection company takes over trying to get you to pay.

Is Capio Partners Legit?

Capio Partners is a legitimate third-party debt collector. However, many consumers have filed complaints against them.

Capio is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They currently have a “B” rating or grade. Capio’s consumer review rating with the BBB is 1.16/5 stars. Nearly 500 consumer complaints are on file.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has fielded over 1,200 consumer complaints regarding Capio Partners.

Many consumers claim that Capio Partners:

• Contacted them about a debt they didn’t owe or wasn’t theirs
• Didn’t provide enough information for the consumer to validate the debt
• Didn’t provide legally required debt dispute information

These complaints may illustrate common violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The FDCPA is a federal law that prohibits third-party debt collectors from harassing or deceiving consumers. It also requires that debt collectors provide a timely debt validation notice. In short, it helps protect consumer rights.

Is Capio Partners a Scam?

Capio Partners is a legitimate debt collection agency. But beware that scammers may use their name to get money from you. Know the biggest red flags of debt collector scams so you can protect yourself.

If someone unfamiliar contacts you claiming to be a debt collector, ask them to validate the debt. Don’t give out any information. They should have details about your debt account. It’s a big red flag if they ask for your bank account information or Social Security number.

Do I Have To Pay Capio Partners LLC?

It depends on whether you truly owe the debt or not. To figure out if the debt is legit, make sure you’ve received a debt validation notice from Capio Partners. The letter should include information about the original debt account and the medical provider. It should also show the amount they allege that you owe.

If they haven’t sent you a debt validation letter or you want more information, send them a verification letter to get clarity.

Step 1: Send a Debt Verification Letter

Third-party debt collectors like Capio are required by law to send a debt validation letter before they first contact you. They can also send it within five days of their first contact. The letter should include information about how to dispute the debt if you disagree with it.

By law, you get a 30-day window to dispute the debt. If a debt is in dispute, it should be noted on your credit report. Capio shouldn’t make phone calls or otherwise try to contact you until they’ve responded to the dispute.

If you dispute the debt in the 30-day time period provided and Capio can’t verify the debt, they should stop all further collection efforts. You shouldn’t have to pay the bill.

A dispute letter is sometimes also called a debt verification letter. However, you can also send a debt verification letter to request further information about a debt account. Use it if the debt validation letter leaves you with questions.

Here’s the main difference between these two letters:

• Debt Validation Letter: Sent by the collector to you with basic debt information
• Debt Verification Letter: Sent by you to the collector requesting more detailed proof

Step 2: Decide What To Do Next

If Capio Partners has validated your debt, you get to decide your next move. You can:

• Dispute the debt if you disagree with it
• Make a debt settlement offer (or pay the debt outright, if you’re able to)
• Ignore the debt (but this comes with serious consequences, so it’s not recommended)

Explore each of these options in more detail below.

Option 1: Dispute the Debt

If you don’t agree with the amount Capio Partners says you owe, dispute the debt. You should also dispute if the account doesn’t belong to you. Or if you (or your medical insurance company) already paid off the account.

Instructions for disputing the debt should be on the bottom of the debt validation letter. You can learn more about this process in our Guide To Disputing a Debt You Don’t Owe.

When you dispute a debt with a creditor or debt collector, check your credit report. Look for inaccuracies. These are quite common, and they can hurt your credit score if they go unaddressed. With medical debts, if the debt is $500 or less, it shouldn’t appear on your credit report. The account status doesn’t matter, according to the CFPB.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to access your credit reports. You can get them from each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The FCRA also gives you the right to dispute any errors you find on your credit report. Here’s a guide to disputing credit report errors.

Option 2: Negotiate the Debt and Make a Settlement Offer

Say you read the validation notice and agree that you owe the medical debt. But you don’t have the money to pay the debt off. You can contact Capio to set up a payment plan or negotiate a debt settlement agreement.

You can call Capio Partners at (888) 502-0303. If you want to negotiate a debt settlement, it’s best to send your offer in writing. You can use a debt settlement agreement template to write your letter. Call to ask what the best mailing address is for settlement offers. Or try to negotiate over the phone and ask the representative to send the agreement in writing.

Consider working with our partner Cambridge Credit Counseling to create a debt management plan. They can help you negotiate lower interest rates and monthly payments with Capio Partners.

How Does Debt Settlement Work?

Capio Partners likely purchased your debt for a small portion of what you owe. Because of this, they may be open to negotiating the amount you have to pay. You could resolve the collection account for less.

Debt negotiations are more common than most people think. Collectors are often willing to settle for 40% to 60% of the total debt. So if you had a past-due medical bill of $1,000, you could offer to pay just $400 to settle the account. Be prepared for a few rounds of negotiation.

You can learn more in our Guide To Beating Capio Partners.

Can You Negotiate Every Past-Due Debt?

No. But you can usually negotiate past-due medical bills, credit card debt, and other common consumer debts. These are debts that aren’t tied to property such as a house or car. The IRS even has a special process to settle past-due tax debt.

Car loans and home loans are usually non-negotiable because the property itself backs up the loan. If you don’t pay the loan, the creditor can take your car or home.

Student loans are also in a category of their own. Most lenders aren’t willing to negotiate student loan debt. But in the last few years, the number of student loan forgiveness programs has grown considerably. These programs can help if you’re struggling with student debt.

Option 3: Ignore the Debt (Not Recommended)

While ignoring the debt is technically an option, it’s not recommended. Ignoring Capio Partners probably won’t make your debt go away. It might make your life more stressful in the long run.

While medical debt under $500 isn’t supposed to appear on your credit report, Capio could choose to ramp up their collection efforts if you ignore them. For example, they could file a debt collection lawsuit against you. They could try to get a wage garnishment order from the court. If that happens, you’ll also likely owe more as court and legal fees get added to your debt bill.

Your future self will thank you for addressing your debt with Capio Partners. Now you have the information you need to dispute or settle your debt and close the account for good.

Can Capio Partners Sue Me?

Yes. Third-party debt collectors (and original creditors, too) are allowed to sue you for unpaid debt. But this is rarely their first move.

If you get sued, you’ll receive official court documents called a summons and complaint. These are often handed to you in person or left with an adult in your home. These papers tell you that you’re being sued and why.

If you get sued for debt, it’s crucial to respond! If you don’t, you’ll probably lose the case by default. The debt collector can get a court order to garnish your wages.

If you’re worried about responding on your own, but you can’t afford a lawyer, you can draft an answer letter for free or a small fee using our partner Solo. They’ve helped over 280,000 people respond to debt lawsuits. They have a 100% money-back guarantee.