How many points do medical bills affect credit score?
James Craig
Published Mar 23, 2026
Medical debt is still debt, and any debt can ding your credit. On the FICO scale of 300 to 850, “a collection that hits a credit report could have an impact of up to 100 points,” says Nancy Bistritz-Balkan, vice president of communications and consumer education at Equifax.
How long does medical debt affect credit score?
Once reported to your credit bureau, medical debt remains on your credit report for seven years, which is as long as any other collection debt.
What bills affect your credit score the most?
The bills that directly affect your credit score are credit card and loan payments. Since payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO score, even one slip up can severely damage it.
How can I get credit to pay bills?
Similarly, you can indirectly get credit for paying your phone bill by putting it on a credit card and paying that on time. Your credit report will show just the credit card and not your phone plan, but paying your credit card bill on time, every time is an essential element of good credit.
What happens when unpaid medical bills show up on your credit report?
Unpaid medical bills may be sent to debt collectors, at which point they may show up on your credit reports and hurt your score. A low credit score could mean a higher mortgage rate or prevent you …
What happens if you have a medical bill in collections?
Consequently, having a medical bill in collections can result in serious damage to your credit scores.
What happens if you pay a medical bill late on a credit card?
The bad news is that most lenders don’t yet use the newer scoring model, Black says. If you pay a medical bill with a credit card, you lose the new medical bill protection in FICO’s latest credit scoring system if the credit card bill is paid late, says Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix operations for Freedom Financial Network.
What happens if I don’t pay my medical bills for 180 days?
Once the 180-day period is up, however, those bills can hit your credit report—and your score will likely take a hit. “This is not a license not to pay your medical debt,” Schulz cautions.
