Hollis Cobb Associates on Your Credit Report: What to Know

Hollis Cobb Associates, Inc. is a Duluth, Georgia healthcare debt collection agency founded in 1977 with 19 federal lawsuits on record since 1989 and a 2010 settlement with the West Virginia Attorney General for collecting debts in that state without a license.

A documented case settled for $1,000 in statutory damages after the agency contacted a consumer’s mother five times and disclosed detailed debt information to pressure payment.

The agency also operates under several alternate business names that may appear on your credit report under a different label than Hollis Cobb.

Who Is Hollis Cobb Associates, Inc.?

Hollis Cobb Associates, Inc. is a third-party healthcare debt collection agency founded in 1977 in Duluth, Georgia. The agency is not BBB-accredited and holds a B- BBB rating with 59 complaints in its current three-year window.

Hollis Cobb also operates under the alternate business names Patient Account Bureau, North Georgia Credit Services, Retail Account Bureau, and First South Business Administration. Any of these names on your credit report represents the same company. Search for all five names when reviewing your credit file.

Who Does Hollis Cobb Collect For?

Hollis Cobb focuses exclusively on healthcare. Confirmed client categories from the agency’s own published descriptions include:

• Hospitals and physician groups: Inpatient, outpatient, and physician practice balances are Hollis Cobb’s primary collection category.
• Medical and dental practices: General practice, specialist, and dental office accounts.
• Imaging and diagnostic centers: Radiology, lab, and diagnostic service balances.
• Long-term care and home healthcare: Nursing facility and home health service balances.

2010 West Virginia Attorney General Settlement

In 2010, the West Virginia Attorney General settled a case against Hollis Cobb Associates and two other collection agencies for collecting debts in West Virginia without the required state collection license. The settlement required the agencies to refund more than $15,000 to affected consumers.

Consumers in states requiring collection agency licensing can verify Hollis Cobb’s license status through the state’s financial regulation office. If it is not licensed in your state, file a state AG complaint alongside any CFPB complaint.

Documented FDCPA Case: Third-Party Contact

A documented case settled after Hollis Cobb contacted a consumer’s mother five times, disclosing detailed information about the consumer’s alleged debt and using manipulative language intended to pressure payment. The case settled for $1,000 in statutory damages, emotional distress compensation, full attorney fees, and removal of all negative credit reporting.

FDCPA Section 1692c(b) prohibits disclosing debt information to third parties including family members except in narrow circumstances related to locating the consumer.

Common Hollis Cobb Complaint Patterns

• Continuing contact after bankruptcy discharge: Consumer complaints describe Hollis Cobb continuing to contact consumers after bankruptcy filings, which violates the federal bankruptcy automatic stay and, following discharge, the bankruptcy court’s discharge injunction.
• Threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken: Consumer complaints allege Hollis Cobb threatening legal consequences it does not have the legal authority to pursue, violating FDCPA Section 1692e(5).
• Attempting to collect debts consumers do not owe: Multiple consumer complaints describe Hollis Cobb pursuing balances consumers have no record of, including instances where insurance should have covered the amount billed.
• Contacting third parties and disclosing debt details: The documented settled case reflects a pattern that also appears in multiple consumer complaints.

What Hollis Cobb Cannot Do Under Federal Law

• Contact family members and disclose debt information: FDCPA Section 1692c(b) prohibits debt-related disclosures to any third party except to locate the consumer. Five contacts to a family member with debt details is a documented Hollis Cobb violation.
• Continue contact after a bankruptcy filing: The federal automatic stay prohibits all collection contact once a bankruptcy petition is filed. Continuing after discharge violates the discharge injunction.
• Threaten legal actions it cannot take: FDCPA Section 1692e(5) prohibits threatening to take actions that are not legally available or not actually intended.
• Collect in states where it is not properly licensed: The 2010 West Virginia settlement established that Hollis Cobb has operated without required state licenses.
• Continue collection after a written validation request: All activity must pause until Hollis Cobb produces documentation.

Medical Debt Reporting Protections

Credit bureau voluntary policy changes effective 2023 removed paid medical balances and balances under $500 from credit reports. If Hollis Cobb is reporting a paid medical balance or a balance under $500, dispute those entries directly with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion without waiting for Hollis Cobb to act.

Verify Before Paying Hollis Cobb

Send a certified validation letter demanding the original provider’s name and contact information, the original itemized bill with CPT codes, the insurance Explanation of Benefits, proof that insurance was billed before the account was referred to Hollis Cobb, and the specific state license number confirming Hollis Cobb is authorized to collect in your state.

How to Check Your Credit Report

Pull all three reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and search for all five names: Hollis Cobb Associates, Patient Account Bureau, North Georgia Credit Services, Retail Account Bureau, and First South Business Administration. Confirm the original provider, service date, and balance for each entry found.

How Long Can Hollis Cobb Legally Pursue the Debt?

Georgia allows six years on most written contracts. The state where you received treatment controls the statute. The credit reporting window is a separate seven-year clock from the original date of first delinquency.

Your Options for Resolving the Account

• Document every contact with family members or third parties: If Hollis Cobb has called a family member, employer, or neighbor and disclosed your debt details, document the date, nature of the contact, and what was said. The settled case shows this is an actionable FDCPA violation pattern for this agency.
• File a state AG complaint for unlicensed collection: The 2010 West Virginia settlement establishes precedent for state AG enforcement. Contact your state’s financial regulation office to verify Hollis Cobb’s licensing status.
• Dispute entries under all five names: Search all five Hollis Cobb business names across all three bureaus and file separate disputes for any entry containing inaccuracies.
• Dispute entries violating medical debt policies: Any paid balance or sub-$500 balance can be disputed directly with all three bureaus.

How to Contact Hollis Cobb Associates

Handle all communication in writing. Send disputes by certified mail with return receipt requested:

• Address: Hollis Cobb Associates, Inc., 3175 Satellite Blvd., Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30096
• Phone: (678) 969-7800

Bottom Line

Hollis Cobb Associates is a long-established Georgia healthcare collector with a 2010 state AG settlement for unlicensed collection, a documented case of contacting a consumer’s mother five times and disclosing debt information, and ongoing complaints for pursuing debts after bankruptcy discharge.

Search all five Hollis Cobb business names across all three reports. If Hollis Cobb has contacted any family member about your debt, document every instance. That contact pattern led directly to a settled FDCPA case against this agency.

If a Hollis Cobb account is on your credit file, the right move depends on whether insurance was properly billed, whether Hollis Cobb holds the required license to collect in your state, and whether any contact has been made with unauthorized third parties.