Fall Forum Takes Chicago [Collector]
By Anonymous | |
Proquest LLC |
Annual fall conference featured seminars and educational tracks on legal issues, asset buying and health care
Regulatory and Legal Issues
In a session led by
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
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.
* 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
For the first time, Members' Attorney Program members were able to attend special legal education sessions at
Asset Buying
Asset buyers face a number of unique issues in today's market In his state of the industry session,
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
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
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
Expo
This year's
Throughout the three days of
FOUNDATION
Thanks to the generosity of
More than 50 attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner, drinks, entertainment and spirited games of blackjack, pai gow poker,
ACA members wishing to support the
Copyright: | (c) 2012 ACA International |
Wordcount: | 1190 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News