USCB America on Your Credit Report: What to Know

USCB America is one of the oldest debt collection agencies in the United States, operating since 1915 and representing over 250 hospitals and healthcare systems across 25 states. A 2015 federal class action settlement required USCB to pay $2.7 million for making unauthorized automated calls to consumers’ cell phones.

The agency also has a documented pattern of citing HIPAA in BBB complaint responses as a reason it cannot address consumer concerns, a practice consumer attorneys identify as not a valid basis for refusing debt validation requests.

This guide covers who USCB collects for, the 2015 TCPA settlement, specific complaint patterns, your rights, and how to handle a medical account from this agency.

Who Is USCB America?

USCB America, formerly USCB, Inc., is a Los Angeles, California healthcare revenue recovery company founded in 1915 and incorporated in 1968. The agency employs over 200 people across offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Henderson, Nevada.

USCB does not purchase debt. It collects as a third-party agent, meaning the original provider still owns the debt while USCB pursues collection.

Who Does USCB Collect For?

USCB works exclusively with healthcare providers and government agencies. Confirmed clients from BBB complaint documentation include:

• Kaiser Permanente: BBB complaints specifically name Kaiser Permanente as the original creditor on accounts USCB is collecting.
• Sutter Health: Consumer review records document USCB collecting Sutter Health hospital bills.
• Hospitals and healthcare systems broadly: USCB publicly states it represents over 250 hospitals across 25 states.
• Government agencies: Government-issued receivables appear in USCB’s published client categories.

The 2015 TCPA Class Action Settlement

USCB America paid $2.7 million to settle a federal class action in the Central District of California in January 2015. A consumer filed the case in November 2013, alleging USCB repeatedly called her cell phone using an automated dialing system to collect a debt she did not owe, despite her requests to stop.

The settlement established that USCB was making automated calls to cell phones without prior express consent, violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. TCPA violations carry $500 per call in statutory damages, or $1,500 per call if willful.

If USCB is calling your cell phone with automated or pre-recorded messages and you have not given consent, document every call with date, time, and whether it appeared automated. Each call may be a separate TCPA violation.

The HIPAA BBB Response Pattern

USCB provides the same boilerplate response to every BBB complaint: it cannot address the complaint without a HIPAA release from the consumer. Consumer attorneys identify this as a documented USCB practice used to avoid substantive responses to consumer concerns.

HIPAA does not excuse USCB from its FDCPA validation obligations. A HIPAA release is not required for USCB to confirm whether it holds a debt, produce validation documentation for the consumer who owes it, or respond to a written dispute. Using HIPAA to avoid validation is not a recognized FDCPA defense.

Common USCB Complaint Patterns

• Collecting on already-paid accounts: A documented BBB complaint describes a consumer with no balance on file with the original provider receiving repeated USCB calls for a $60 debt the original creditor could not identify.
• Quoting different amounts verbally versus in writing: A documented BBB complaint describes a written notice stating one amount and a representative quoting a higher different amount on the phone without explanation.
• Demanding payment before disclosing account details: A documented consumer review describes USCB requiring a $1 payment to run a credit check before disclosing which account it was collecting.
• Automated calls to wrong-number recipients: USCB’s own BBB responses acknowledge calling incorrect phone numbers provided in account files.

What USCB Cannot Do Under Federal Law

• Make automated calls to cell phones without consent: The 2015 TCPA settlement established USCB violated this rule. Document every automated or pre-recorded call to your cell phone.
• Use HIPAA as a basis to refuse debt validation: The FDCPA’s validation requirements apply regardless of HIPAA. A request from the consumer who owes the debt is not a HIPAA privacy violation.
• Continue collection after a written validation request: All collection activity must pause until USCB produces documentation.
• Quote different collection amounts in writing versus verbally: Representing a different balance than what is owed may violate FDCPA Section 1692e.
• Contact outside legal hours: Calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time are prohibited.

Medical Debt Reporting Protections

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

Verify Before Paying USCB

Send a certified validation letter demanding the original provider’s name and contact information, the original account number, an itemized billing statement with procedure codes, the insurance Explanation of Benefits, proof that insurance was billed before collections, and written confirmation the balance matches the original provider’s current records.

If USCB’s written notice shows a different amount than what a representative quoted verbally, demand written clarification before any payment.

How to Check Your Credit Report

Pull all three reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and look for USCB America or USCB Inc. as the furnisher. Confirm the original provider, service date, and balance against your own medical records or insurance statements.

How Long Can USCB Legally Pursue the Debt?

California allows four years on most written contracts including medical service agreements. 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 automated call: Log each automated call with date, time, and content. The 2015 settlement confirms this is a documented USCB pattern and each unauthorized call may be worth $500 to $1,500.
• Demand validation despite the HIPAA response: HIPAA does not excuse USCB from FDCPA validation obligations. Send your request by certified mail and require written documentation regardless of what USCB cites about privacy.
• Contact the original provider directly: The hospital or health system still owns the debt and can verify account details, confirm insurance billing, and sometimes recall accounts where billing errors occurred.
• Dispute entries violating medical debt policies: Any paid balance or sub-$500 balance can be disputed directly with all three bureaus.

How to Contact USCB America

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

• Los Angeles address: USCB America, 355 S. Grand Ave., Suite 3200, Los Angeles, CA 90071
• Mailing address: USCB America, PO Box 74929, Los Angeles, CA 90004
• Phone: (213) 387-6181

Bottom Line

USCB America is a century-old Los Angeles healthcare collector representing hundreds of hospitals nationwide with a $2.7 million TCPA settlement for unauthorized automated calls and a documented pattern of citing HIPAA in complaint responses to avoid addressing consumer concerns.

The HIPAA response pattern is the most important thing to understand before engaging. It is not a barrier to your validation rights. Send a formal certified validation letter and require written documentation regardless of what USCB cites about privacy obligations.

If a USCB account is on your credit file, the right move depends on whether insurance was properly billed, whether the balance matches the original provider’s records, and whether any automated phone contact occurred without your prior consent.