debt collection

Kayce Atencio, who has been shadowed by medical debt for most of his adult life, had been unable to rent an apartment because of poor credit due to medical debt, he said. Recent reporting changes by credit rating agencies have removed many debts from consumer credit reports and lifted scores for millions, a new study finds. Rachel Woolf for KFF Health News hide caption

Medical debt is the most common reason for collection calls, a federal study found. Geber86/Getty Images hide caption

Richard Cordray, shown here at a March 2015 hearing, directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has proposed new rules to overhaul the multi-billion dollar debt collection industry.) Steve Helber/AP hide caption