Will Medical Debt Show on Your Credit Report?
Paid debts never report. Under $500 never reports. New debts get 12 months. After that, it depends on your state — and a 2026 court case is shaking things up.
Last updated: October 23, 2026
Experian medical-debt reporting guidance; FCRA reporting period
Your state's law
Texas
No statewide medical-debt credit-reporting ban identified in the reviewed October 2026 trackers.
Source: https://unduemedicaldebt.org/state-protections/
Open the state-protection source →Read the full Texas page →How it works
- Paid medical debt stops the check first. The nationwide bureau policy removes paid medical collections, regardless of amount or state. Equifax joint bureau announcement, July 2022
- An unpaid balance below $500 is excluded. Exactly $500 is not below the threshold, so it continues to the grace-period and state-law checks. NCLC; Credit Karma
- New unpaid medical debt gets 12 months. Before month 12, the result shows an estimated date when reporting could begin. Because the input is whole months rather than the original delinquency date, confirm the date with the collector. 2023 nationwide bureau change
- After the federal floor, state data decides the final label. Enacted bans are marked as contested, limited or pending protections are not treated as blanket bans, and a state with no tracked ban returns ‘can be reported.’
- An otherwise reportable collection may remain for up to seven years. That is a reporting window, not a promise that every bureau will display it for the full period. Experian
What to do next
- Pull all three free reports. Use AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source.
- Dispute inaccurate information. Contact every bureau displaying the item and include payment records, insurance explanations of benefits, or collection correspondence.
- Ask about charity care. Contact the provider's financial-assistance office before paying or agreeing to a collection plan; eligibility rules differ by provider.
- Preserve dates and documents. Keep the original bill, delinquency date, notices, payment confirmation, and screenshots of each report.
FAQ
Does paid medical debt appear on a credit report?
No. Under the nationwide credit-bureau policy in effect since July 2022, paid medical collection debt is removed from consumer credit reports.
Can an unpaid medical bill under $500 be reported?
No. Medical collection debt below $500 has been excluded since spring 2023. A balance of exactly $500 is not below the threshold and may proceed to the other rules.
How long is the medical-debt grace period?
Unpaid medical debt generally cannot appear until it has been delinquent for 12 months. The date shown here is an estimate because the checker asks for whole months, not the original delinquency date.
Does my state's ban guarantee the debt will stay off?
Not necessarily. CDIA v. Paxton and a 2025 CFPB interpretive rule support federal preemption of state reporting bans, and enforceability is being litigated. A bureau may still honor a state protection voluntarily.
How long can reportable medical debt remain?
An otherwise valid medical collection can remain for up to seven years. Check all three reports because the entry and removal date can differ by bureau or data furnisher.
What should I do if the entry is wrong?
Get free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, dispute inaccurate information with each bureau displaying it, keep supporting records, and ask the provider whether charity care or financial assistance applies.
Methodology
paid → excluded; then amount < $500 → excluded; then delinquent < 12 months → not yet reportable. Only a debt that clears all three reaches the selected state's data record. A ban record produces a contested-ban result; partial covers limited programs or pending measures and never promises exclusion; none means no statewide ban was identified in the reviewed trackers. The grace-period date is an estimate computed from whole months entered and today's date. Score effects are described qualitatively only because they vary by scoring model and credit file; no point estimate is invented. CDIA v. Paxton, 2026 WL 2322668 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 10, 2026), held FCRA preempts a state ban, and a CFPB rule (Oct. 28, 2025) backs preemption — whether YOUR state's ban is enforceable is being litigated. The bureaus may still honor it voluntarily. State trackers disagree on the count and scope of protections, so confirm the selected state's primary law before acting. Last updated: October 2026.Sources: Equifax joint bureau medical-debt announcement; National Consumer Law Center (NCLC); Credit Karma medical-debt guidance; Experian medical-debt reporting guidance; Undue Medical Debt State Protections; Consumer Finance Monitor (D.C., Oct. 8, 2026); CFPB, 90 Fed. Reg. 48,710 (Oct. 28, 2025); CDIA v. Paxton, 2026 WL 2322668 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 10, 2026) — accessed October 2026Last updated: October 23, 2026 · Reviewed against federal bureau rules and state trackers