Sub Page - Gateway Gatherings

Phrases heard constantly in St Louis over the last few months. The Cardinals run was very exciting. A team that was an underdog and would not give up. Whether or not you are a sports fan, it is truly exciting for the city. Our St Louis HFMA chapter has experienced similar success and excitement in recent months. Our programs are off to a great start this year. We experienced an unofficial attendance record for a one day program for our joint effort with the Metro Healthcare Executive Group. Coding classes are close to full or sold out. On the social front, we had an outstanding golf tourney and a great holiday program on the horizon.

HFMA National recognizes outstanding Chapter efforts by awarding “Yergers”. Our Chapter’s Yerger committee has met and is documenting these efforts so our Chapter will be recognized nationally.

If you have participated, congratulations. You are maximizing your investment in HFMA. If you have not participated, please review the web site and emails. You maybe missing something that could really enhance your knowledge and/or career.

As always, thank you to everyone who participates because without you we cease to exist.

Sincerely,

Jim Hill

The 2006 HFMA Healthcare Finance Fall Conference was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel on the Plaza in Kansas City, MO September 27-29, 2006. This annual program was sponsored by the Greater St. Louis, Show-Me of Missouri, Heart of America and Sunflower Chapters.

On Wednesday afternoon, educational sessions were provided on regulatory and legislative issues as well as ways to improve Medicare profitability. At the evening reception, everyone was able to network and meet up with old friends.

On Thursday, attendees had to make some tough decisions between sessions on APC’s and ER & Hospital-Based Clinics by the highly acclaimed national speaker Day Egusquiza, sessions covering issues such as critical access and denial management as well as sessions on community benefits, consumer driven health plans and strategic capital planning. A certification coaching class was also offered in the two morning sessions and, those interested were able to actually take the HFMA Core Examination that afternoon, one step in the process of becoming a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional.

The exhibit hall was full of vendors ready and willing to assist attendees with all their healthcare needs.
Some of the 27 vendors represented were:

They gave away some outstanding prizes making a stop by their vendor booth a very smart decision! That evening, attendees were treated to a wonderful dinner followed by magician Eric Price of Magic At Hand.

On Friday morning, Bobette Gustafson, another nationally acclaimed speaker on the revenue cycle gave attendees many tips on how to build a revenue cycle team of excellence. Kansas City provided an exciting backdrop to a successful Fall Conference and was truly an outstanding host city for this annual event. Any questions regarding the 2006 Fall Conference should be addressed to Teri Reger, Vice President of the Greater St. Louis Chapter.

If you would like to help plan the 2007 Fall Conference or any of the chapter’s other educational programs, please contact Tami Knobbe, 2006-2007 Program Chair.

AMENDMENTS TO FAIR DEBT COLLECTION
PRACTICES ACT ENACTED BY CONGRESS

Gerald J. Bamberger, Attorney at Law

On September 30, 2006, after many years of effort by creditors and collection organizations including the American Collectors Association, Commercial Law League of American, National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys, etc. Congress passed the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006, HR3505, part of which includes amendments to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The Act was signed into law by President Bush on October 3, 2006. Though the FDCPA, in most instances, does not impact collection efforts by the original creditors, it does regulate the actions on their behalf by third party collectors including collection agencies and attorneys. The act amends the FDCPA in three ways.

First, a formal pleading by an attorney for creditor does not constitute an initial communication under the FDCPA and does not trigger the need for validation notice disclosure required under the act.

Second, notices and forms sent by debt collectors which are required by Federal or State statutes, regulations, or rules, but which do not request payment of a debt, are not deemed communications with debt collections.

Third, collectors now have the right to collect within the thirty day period after the initial validation notice is sent to the debtor.

It is anticipated that these amendments will aid third party collectors in avoiding lawsuits by consumers for alleged technical violations of the law.

Comment on the Import of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention
and Consumer Protection Act of 2005

According to a survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the average annual unsecured debt is $11,599.00 greater than average annual income, among those filing bankruptcy in the year since the law becoming effective, and mortgage delinquency is prevalent.

NCFF Surveyed 107 out of 108 member agencies and examined the filing and education requirements of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, for the time period October 17, 2005, through August 31, 2006, and took a comparative look at the consumers being served by credit counseling agencies.

The survey found:

NFCC member agencies conducted 563,494 bankruptcy counseling and education sessions.

Consumer bankruptcies showed that unsecured debt-to-income ratio has deteriorated and bankruptcy was likely to be the debtor(s) only option.

Mortgage delinquency was more prevalent for consumers filing for bankruptcy than for those receiving non-bankruptcy counseling.

Telephone/Internet Credit Counseling was the predominant choice for those services; face-to-face counseling, the most expensive, accounted for only about 15 percent of pre-filing counseling.

The number one reason consumers filed bankruptcy protection was Apoor money management/excessive spending;@ reduced income/unemployment was cited nearly as often.

The time necessary to complete pre-discharge education sessions averaged more than two and a half hours; 25% greater than originally anticipated.

Testing by some NFCC agencies shows that consumers improve their financial knowledge by 10-40%, at least in the short-term, as a result of counseling.