Read Lisa Stifler's remarks before the December 2014 CFPB Field Hearing on Medical Debt Collection on the distinct lack of standards for when a bill is sent to a debt collector or reported to credit reporting agencies. These distinctions can result in unique harms to individuals in the credit reporting context. As CFPB research has shown, consumers with medical debts on their credit reports are overly penalized in their credit scores, underestimating the creditworthiness of those with outstanding medical debt, as well those who have paid it off. As a result, they may be unjustly penalized for many years after their medical emergency.