How to Settle Debt With USCB America Collections

USCB America is a medical debt collection company. They might sue you for past due healthcare debt. You can beat them by responding to their lawsuit and forcing them to prove their claims.

Debt can happen to anyone. In fact, 1 out of 10 adults owe medical debt in the US. Most of the time, debt happens unknowingly and for reasons beyond your control. Layoffs, insufficient medical insurance, or expensive care for relatives can all lead to debt.

As phone calls begin, they are embarrassing. As they persist, debt collectors become outright frightening and threatening. USCB America may call you because you owe an unpaid debt. An account is now open on your credit report for collections.

Who Is USCB America?

USCB America is a medical debt collection company. If you’ve been contacted by USCB collections, you likely have an unpaid medical debt.

Founded in 1915, USCB America has its headquarters in Los Angeles. With over 100 years of experience, it is one of the nation’s oldest collections agencies. Although they call themselves a “receivables management company,” that’s just a fancy way of saying collection agency.

USCB America collects for healthcare organizations. They represent the largest healthcare systems, hospitals, physician groups, and academic institutions in the United States. Over 250 hospitals in 25 states are included. The company claims to have handled 19 million cases solely in 2019.

Contact Information for USCB America Collections

Below is the USCB America debt collector phone number and other contact information:

• Address: 355 S. Grand Ave., Ste. 3200, Los Angeles, CA 90071
• Telephone: (877) 846-9531
• Website: https://www.uscbinc.com

Communicate With USCB America in Writing

It is your legal right to insist that USCB America contact you in writing only. Written communication reduces misunderstandings arising from phone conversations. You have rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

USCB America must honor your request. If USCB America violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) when collecting medical debt, you may use the violation to beat them. You might even avoid paying the debt entirely.

Debt collectors often make false promises over the telephone. You can hold USCB America accountable for their promises by insisting on certified U.S. mail. Holding them to their word will prevent them from harassing you.

USCB will try to argue with you on the phone. Tell them they have violated the FDCPA and hang up. Most people are not aware of their rights under the FDCPA. Mentioning that you know your rights will probably catch them by surprise.

Ask USCB Collections to Validate the Debt

You probably will not need to validate the debt if you’re paying on an active account. But if they approach you about a collection account, the law requires them to provide complete documentation. You can request a debt validation by sending a Debt Validation Letter to USCB America.

They must respond with a debt validation notice that includes all relevant debt information:

• Original creditor’s name
• When the account went into collection
• Debt amount
• Clear information about your obligations

You can legally dispute the debt if USCB America cannot provide a debt validation notice. If the collection agency does not have complete evidence of your debt, they should stop collection efforts. Our partner Solo can help you draft a Debt Validation Letter in minutes.

You can also open a dispute with the three credit bureaus. Once the credit bureaus receive your claim, they must investigate it within 30 days. If USCB America cannot verify the debt, the credit bureaus will remove it from your report.

How to Get Medical Bills Off Your Credit Report After a HIPAA Violation

USCB collections might contact you if you owe a debt to Kaiser. Here’s an example of a real consumer who beat a USCB debt collector.

Kim, a diligent bill-payer who prefers online transactions, encountered a surprising issue. Despite living paperlessly, she received a month-old notice from USCB America for an unpaid Kaiser bill.

Upon reviewing her Kaiser account, Kim discovered the claimed charge dated August 19th. She had already paid it. Her account showed no unpaid charges for that date. It contradicted the collection agency’s statement.

The agency alleged multiple failed communication attempts. However, Kim had received other Kaiser communications at her new address after setting up mail forwarding. No issues existed with her mail reception.

To resolve the situation, Kim decided to:

• Contact Kaiser for clarification
• Send a written dispute to USCB America using express delivery
• Call the collection agency to ensure they were aware of her proactive steps

Kim’s situation demonstrates the importance of thorough record-keeping. Assertive action is necessary in the face of potential credit report impacts.

USCB America May Accept Pay-for-Delete Agreements

USCB America may accept a pay-for-delete agreement if the debt belongs to you. It can prevent wage garnishment and other legal actions. Will USCB America sue you for payment? Unfortunately, the answer is likely yes.

Offering to pay a portion of your debt may convince USCB not to report your account. It is a win-win situation. You get the negative entry removed from your report, and they get some debt paid.

Offer to pay USCB America 50% of the balance and then negotiate from there. After you come up with an agreement, ask them to send it in writing. Make the first payment if the terms align with what you proposed. After 30 days, check your credit score to see if they removed their entry.

Respond to a Debt Lawsuit Against USCB America

If USCB America has filed a lawsuit against you, the first step to beating them is filing a written Answer. Most people in this position don’t know how to respond, so they ignore the lawsuit. When you fail to respond to a debt lawsuit, you will lose by default.

USCB America can request a default judgment to be entered against you. Default judgments give them the legal right to collect the debt by garnishing wages, seizing property, and freezing bank accounts.

Here are 3 simple steps to help you respond to your debt lawsuit:

1. Respond to each allegation listed in the Complaint
2. Assert your affirmative defenses
3. File the Answer with the court and send a copy to USCB America

Step 1: Respond to Each Allegation Listed in the Complaint

If you’ve been sued by USCB America, you should have received court documents. These documents notify you of the lawsuit and the specific claims against you. They are called the Summons and Complaint.

Step one in drafting your Answer is to respond to each allegation in the Complaint. These claims are usually listed in numbered paragraphs. Each of your responses should be presented in a numbered list that corresponds with the Complaint.

You should respond by either:

• Admitting (like saying, “It’s true”)
• Denying (like saying, “Prove it”)
• Denying due to lack of knowledge (like saying, “I don’t know”)

Most attorneys recommend that you deny as many allegations as possible. Denying requires USCB America to do more work to prove their case.

Step 2: Assert Your Affirmative Defenses

After you’ve responded to each claim against you, include a section for affirmative defenses. An affirmative defense is any reason that USCB America doesn’t have a case against you.

Here are some common affirmative defenses you might bring up:

• The statute of limitations has expired
• The account with the debt is not your account
• The contract was already canceled
• The debt has been paid or excused
• The debt has been partially paid
• You were a co-signer but were not informed of your rights

Step 3: File the Answer With the Court and Send a Copy to USCB America

Once you’ve drafted your Answer with your responses and affirmative defenses, you need to file it. You have 14-35 days to file your Answer before the deadline expires. The deadline is different in each state. Pay attention to your court Summons for that information.

You must print a copy of the Answer and send it to USCB America. If you don’t file your Answer within the deadline and serve USCB America a copy, a default judgment could be entered against you.

You can mail your Answer to the court’s mailing address or drop it off in person. Some courts even require that you file it electronically. Our partner Solo can help you file an Answer in all 50 states.

Reach a Settlement With a USCB America Debt Collector

You can reach out to a USCB America debt collector at any stage of the lawsuit. However, it’s best to wait until after you’ve filed your Answer to the lawsuit. You should also make sure to get the settlement agreement in writing for proof.

Many debt collection agencies agree to a settlement then request a default judgment in court. Yes, it’s pretty shady business, but it’s not uncommon for this to happen.

Begin the settlement negotiation process by sending a Debt Lawsuit Settlement Letter to USCB America. Settlement can provide an arrangement to resolve debt outside court. Even if you want to win the lawsuit and not pay anything, you could close the case. You may pay less than the original amount.

What Are the Complaints Against USCB America?

On a scale ranging from A+ to F, USCB America has an A rating from the Better Business Bureau. Over the past three years, USCB America has had 154 complaints against them with the BBB. They responded to all complaints, and nearly half of them stand resolved to consumers’ satisfaction. Many of the complaints involve billing and collection issues.

USCB America has been a defendant in at least three civil lawsuits. These lawsuits were filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) since April 2015.