Credit Agencies Get Mixed Ruling in Medical Debt Antitrust Case

Equifax Inc., Experian Plc, and TransUnion will face some antitrust claims in a case accusing the three credit agencies of unlawfully agreeing not to report unpaid medical debts under $500 after a federal judge allowed some to be dismissed and others to move forward.

Judge Daniel J. Calabretta of the US District Court for the Eastern District of California in a Wednesday opinion allowed Sherman Act claims brought by plaintiff AmeriFinancial Solutions to proceed. AmeriFinancial is a collection agency that assists medical practices in collecting payment of unpaid medical bills from patients.

Unlike the medical provider plaintiffs also ...