Professional Account Services on Your Credit Report: Your Options

Professional Account Services, Inc. (PASI) is a medical debt collector that settled a $3.5 million class action in 2016 over allegations that it misrepresented itself as a hospital when calling Pennsylvania consumers about unpaid bills.

PASI also files liens on liability and motor vehicle accident accounts, meaning a PASI contact may not always be about a standard medical bill. If you have an open personal injury claim or attorney involved, a PASI lien filing may directly affect your settlement.

This guide covers who PASI is, their documented patterns, and how to respond.

Who Is Professional Account Services?

Professional Account Services, Inc. is a healthcare debt collection agency founded in 1987 in the Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee area. The company is BBB-accredited since 2011, markets itself under the brand Collectively Different, and has been named in 30 federal lawsuits. They collect for hospitals, health systems, physician groups, and also file workers compensation and liability liens.

PASI is not known for suing consumers. America’s Consumer Lawyer confirms no documented consumer lawsuits. Any PASI threat of a lawsuit or wage garnishment without a court judgment is a specific FDCPA violation worth filing a CFPB complaint about.

The $3.5 Million Pennsylvania Class Action

In 2016, PASI settled a $3.5 million class action, Archavage v. Professional Account Services, Inc., filed in Pennsylvania. The lawsuit alleged PASI misrepresented itself as the hospital when calling consumers about unpaid medical bills, misleading consumers into believing they were speaking directly with their healthcare provider.

PASI denied wrongdoing but paid the settlement. Class members who submitted valid claims received a proportional share of the remaining fund after attorney fees and representative plaintiff compensation.

If PASI has called you and identified itself in a way that suggested you were speaking with the hospital rather than a collection agency, that misrepresentation may be an FDCPA violation of the same type alleged in the Pennsylvania case.

Refusing to Act on Insurance Payment Proof

A documented BBB review describes a consumer who discovered an account had been paid in full more than a year before PASI’s contact. The consumer had an insurance company representative call PASI with them on the line to confirm payment and provided an EOB as proof. The PASI representative told them they needed to talk to the provider instead.

The consumer then sent a written dispute. PASI quickly responded stating they had met their obligation to validate the debt. The consumer subsequently contacted the provider, who confirmed nothing was owed. The provider’s accounts receivable group acknowledged the balance had been incorrectly marked as a deductible.

If PASI dismisses EOB proof of insurance payment and redirects you to the provider, contact the provider directly to get their written confirmation that nothing is owed. Send that provider confirmation to PASI by certified mail and dispute the credit bureau entry simultaneously.

The Lien Filing Risk

PASI files liens on liability and motor vehicle accident accounts. A documented BBB review describes a consumer who paid a bill twice by mistake and still had a lien placed on their account for the same amount. When they called PASI’s lien department over two days, they reached only voicemail. No one called back.

If you have an active personal injury claim, attorney representation, or a pending motor vehicle accident settlement, a PASI lien may reduce your settlement proceeds. Contact PASI’s lien department in writing by certified mail immediately and request confirmation of the lien amount, the legal basis, and the process for releasing it upon payment.

First Contact by Text Without Prior Mail

A documented BBB complaint describes a consumer who received their first PASI contact as a text message containing an image attachment and a link for authentication. No prior mail, phone call, or voicemail had been received. The consumer was concerned the text was a scam and refused to click the link.

PASI’s omnichannel contact strategy includes texts, emails, automated calls, and letters. Their BBB response in this case confirmed the text was legitimate. However, receiving a text as first contact without prior written validation notice raises a Regulation F concern. If a PASI text is your first contact and no written validation letter has arrived, send a validation request by certified mail and do not click any links in unsolicited text messages claiming to be from PASI.

What PASI Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Professional Account Services. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Misrepresent themselves as the hospital when calling consumers: The basis of the 2016 Pennsylvania class action.
• Dismiss valid EOB proof of insurance payment and continue collecting: A documented BBB review.
• Make first contact by text without prior written validation notice: A Regulation F concern in a documented BBB complaint.
• Threaten wage garnishment without a court judgment: America’s Consumer Lawyer confirms PASI does not sue consumers.
• Use rude or abusive language: Documented in multiple BBB reviews.
• Call outside permitted hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.

File complaints at consumerfinance.gov. Tennessee residents can also file with the Tennessee Attorney General’s Consumer Affairs Division.

Medical Debt Reporting Rules Apply

Because PASI collects exclusively for healthcare providers, specific credit reporting protections apply. Medical debts under $500 are not reported, paid medical collections are removed, and unpaid medical debt has a one-year waiting period before reporting. If your account falls under any of these categories, dispute it immediately.

Verify Before Paying Anything

Pull your explanation of benefits for the relevant service dates. Contact the original provider directly to confirm the balance PASI claims matches their records. Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact.

For any PASI text message or email received as first contact, do not click embedded links. Call PASI directly using the published number or send a certified mail validation request.

How to Check Your Credit Report for PASI Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Search under Professional Account Services, PASI, PASI Collections, and PASI PROD TN. Is the original provider identified? Is the balance consistent with your insurance EOB? Was prior written notice received before the account appeared?

Any inaccuracy is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can PASI Legally Pursue the Debt?

Tennessee has a 6-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. The relevant state is typically where you currently reside.

Your Options for Resolving a PASI Account

Once you have verified the debt:

• Pull your EOB first: PASI’s documented dismissal of insurance payment proof makes independent insurance verification essential.
• For lien accounts: Contact PASI’s lien department by certified mail immediately if a personal injury claim or settlement is pending.
• Do not click text links: Request written validation by certified mail rather than engaging through unsolicited text attachments.
• Dispute if the provider confirms payment: Send provider confirmation and EOB to both PASI and the credit bureaus simultaneously.

How to Contact Professional Account Services

Handle all communication in writing:

• Address: Professional Account Services, Inc., 7100 Commerce Way, Suite 100, Brentwood, TN 37027
• Mailing address: PO Box 188, Brentwood, TN 37024
• Phone: (800) 755-5152

Bottom Line

Professional Account Services settled a $3.5 million class action over allegations of misrepresenting itself as a hospital when calling consumers. They do not sue consumers but do file liens on liability and motor vehicle accident accounts.

Pull your EOB before engaging. If a personal injury settlement is pending, contact PASI’s lien department by certified mail immediately. Do not provide financial information or click links in unsolicited PASI text messages.