Fall Forum Takes Chicago [Collector]

Annual fall conference featured seminars and educational tracks on legal issues, asset buying and health care

ACA International's 2011 Fall Forum conference brought together credit and collection professionals in Chicago. The event took place Nov. 9-11, 2011, with nearly 400 ACA members gathering for three days of education and networking. It included Campus ACA seminars and tracks on legal issues, asset buying and health care collections, as well as the Expo Hall, where attendees could visit with exhibitors and sponsors.

Regulatory and Legal Issues

In a session led by Thomas Pahl, assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission'sDivision of Financial Practices, attendees learned about the FTC's enforcement priorities related to the collection industry.

Pahl noted the FTC realizes the value the debt collection industry, working in compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, brings to the American economy. So as the commission looks to protect consumers' rights, it makes distinctions between agencies that need better processes and procedures to bring them into compliance with the law and those that engage in egregious violations of the law.

Pahl also addressed the future relationship between the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as it relates to collection industry oversight. He pointed out that when the FDCPA was originally passed, Congress intended for it to be enforced primarily by private actions rather than through government enforcement. Although the FTC has had the power to enforce the FDCPA, it was not given the authority to interpret the law or promulgate rules. The CFPB, on the other hand, will have these authorities. Going forward, both entities will have oversight of the industry, although the exact roles each will play are still being determined as the new CFPB gets up and running.

Additionally, Pahl noted that in 2012, the FTC will publish two reports related to the collection industry - one about the use of technology and one about debt buyers.

Fall Forum attendees also heard from ACA Director of Federal Government Affairs Adam Peterman, who gave an update on ACAs efforts in Washington, D.C. Peterman outlined ACAs top four federal priorities for the coming year:

* Amending the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

* Passing a targeted FDCPA amendment aimed at modernizing the FDCPA to account for voicemail messages.

* Monitoring the evolution of data privacy and security legislation.

* Monitoring developments in the new CFPB and assessing its impact on the industry.

For the first time, Members' Attorney Program members were able to attend special legal education sessions at Fall Forum. The nearly 80 attorneys who attended the MAP track received the latest intelligence on issues such as FDCPA call frequency/harassment claims, sanctions in the credit and collection industry, the impact of social media on debt collectors, the TCPA, and settlement negotiation strategies.

Asset Buying

Asset buyers face a number of unique issues in today's market In his state of the industry session, Mike Ginsberg, president and CEO of Kaulkin Ginsberg, described several business, economic and legislative conditions affecting the current receivables industry. In particular, he noted that student loans and the health care market present tremendous opportunities.

Presenters in another asset buying session addressed how to break into new markets, noting opportunities in telecom, business credit cards, demand deposit accounts, automobile deficiencies, commercial and government accounts. The consensus among the presenters was that there are a lot of opportunities available in the market if you are willing to break out of your comfort zone.

In a session covering the trend of increased documentation requirements in the courts, attendees examined the proactive steps they can take to ensure they meet these requirements. They also discussed the uses for documentation, including validation, customer service, proof of ownership and, of course, use in the courts.

Health Care Collections

Wth the majority of ACA members collecting health care debt at some level, it's no surprise that the Fall Forum health care track was wellattended and included lively debate on topics including health care reform, HIPAA and HITECH.

Tony Rinkenberger, revenue cycle director for Ridgeview Medical Center, kicked off the health care sessions by describing the market challenges for health care providers as well as the related opportunities for their health care partners.

He discussed how complicated the reimbursement landscape is becoming for providers and how agencies can use their specialized training and technology to recover hard-to-collect self-pay amounts.

Another highlight of the health care track was the session on public relations concerns, in which panelists discussed the benefits of setting up a consumer complaint desk, participating in community and charity events and proactively building relationships with local media.

A presentation led by Moises Eilemberg and Pamela Kirchner, both members of ACAs Healthcare Services Committee, covered outsourcing opportunities in the health care market. Kirchner had conducted a survey of more than 20 healthcare providers, asking a variety of questions about their outsourcing practices, priorities when hiring an agency and sales techniques that work or don't work well with them. The presenters shared the results of this survey and led discussion on the findings.

One of the more interesting results was that when asked for their top consideration when considering hiring a new agency, providers ranked "strong references" at the top of their fist, while "rate" was second on the fist.

When asked which services they most anticipate outsourcing in the next five years, providers most often mentioned insurance verification and help answering inbound phone calls. The number one sales technique that turns providers off? Far and away, the most common answer was cold calling.

Seminars

Fall Forum attendees also had the opportunity to attend two of ACAs educational seminars: Credit and Collection Compliance Officer and Collection Floor Management In the Credit & Collection Compliance Officer seminar, attendees learned how to establish and maintain an effective internal compliance program. The Collection Floor Management seminar focused on running the agency's operations efficiently and effectively.

Expo

This year's Fall Forum welcomed a record number of attendees and exhibit booths. Twenty-eight exhibiting ACA affiliate members showcased business solutions for attendees.

Throughout the three days of Fall Forum, there was a steady buzz of excitement in the halls and meeting rooms. The event featured a variety of diverse session tracks, but all attendees had common interests and goals within the collection industry. It was great opportunity to meet and share ideas with others excited about the future of the credit and collection industry. Mark your calendars now for the 2012 Fall Forum on Nov. 7-9, 2012, at the Westin Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

FOUNDATION

Casino Night Event Supports ACA Foundation

Thanks to the generosity of Fall Forum attendees, volunteer dealers, sponsors and contributors, the Nov. 9, 2011, ACA Bets on Ask Doctor Debt event raised more than $34,000 to benefit the ACA International Education Foundation's consumer financial literacy outreach efforts.

More than 50 attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner, drinks, entertainment and spirited games of blackjack, pai gow poker, Texas hold 'em and craps.

ACA members wishing to support the ACA International Education Foundation and its work promoting Ask Doctor Debt can make contributions at http://www.acainternational.org/foundation or by sending a check to ACA International Education Foundation, P.O. Box 390106, Minneapolis, MN 55439-0106.