Here are some things I learned about dealing with wrong medical bills:

1. Call the provider and politely state that you do not recall the services. Perhaps you simply forgot about the doctor’s appointment. Or it may be an honest billing mistake. Give the provider time to verify the charges.

2. If the provider fails to verify the charges, challenge the charges in writing. Politely but firmly state that you do not believe you ever incurred the charges and note that the provider failed to verify the charges when you gave it an opportunity. Send the letter by certified mail and keep a copy for your records.

3. If this fails, you have a decision to make. You can pay the “wrong medical bill to preserve your credit score, and then investigate whether to bring a small claims action for return of the money. Or you can wait for the charge to appear on your credit report, and then use the credit-reporting agency’s method for dispute resolution. The agency will require the provider to prove the charges. If it cannot, the information will be removed from your report. However, if the charges are proved to the credit agency’s satisfaction, the negative information will remain on your report for up to seven years.

The moral is this: don’t ignore these wrong medical bills, even if you don’t remember getting those services.