At the start of a new year, I reflect on what a crazy ride 2021 was, along with its even crazier predecessor, 2020. My thoughts and prayers go out to those seriously impacted by COVID-19; the families that lost loved ones, medical providers that worked endless hours, small business owners that went bankrupt and kids that didn’t go to school, play sports or see their friends. It’s been strange times. While a certain level of uncertainty remains, I am truly excited for 2022. I choose to believe that the proverbial glass is half full. With challenge comes opportunity. Cascade365 is well positioned to provide tangible value to our healthcare and banking clients regardless of external circumstances outside of our control. While I approach the new year with optimism, I know that my personal goals and objectives for Cascade365 will not actualize on their own. Hope and enthusiasm are nothing without grit. Team Cascade365 has fire in its belly. We are going to navigate through the good and bad of 2022 driven by an unrelenting focus on providing best in industry AR liquidity solutions to our clients. I wish you happiness, health, present-mindedness and much success in the new year.
Regards,
Humbled By The Company We Keep
Cascade365 is proud to have supported the following nonprofits in 2021. Each organization’s important mission aligns with the core values of the Cascade365 Team.
Cascade365 donated to St. Vincent Foundation to assist them in supporting the community programs that target the poor and vulnerable.
Founded in 1968, Ascension St. Vincent Foundation steward’s philanthropic contributions to support community programs, capital projects and enhance patient care, especially for the poor and vulnerable.
Cascade365 contributed to The American Red Cross Wildfire Relief during the 2021 holiday season. With Cascade365’s corporate office in the area, we acknowledge and care about those in need, especially during these challenging times.
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. From small house fires to multi-state natural disasters, the American Red Cross goes wherever they are needed, so people can have clean water, safe shelter, and hot meals when they need them most.
Bridgeway Academy is a nonprofit education and therapy center serving children with autism and developmental disabilities. Bridgeway unites children with autism and other developmental disabilities with outstanding services, highly degreed and credentialed experts in their field, a responsive curriculum, and an inclusive culture.
RMAi 2022 Annual Conference
We are excited to be attending theRMAi’s 2022 Annual Conferencefrom February 7 – February 10. The RMAi helps companies like ours stay on top of best practices and the most current state of the receivables industry.
Healthcare providers faced a lot of challenges in 2021 and continue to experience changing regulations and guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing complications. Included in the maelstrom are two regulations that were introduced in 2021 and that could greatly affect a provider’s revenue cycle, especially their self-pay and balance after insurance collections.
Regulation F (12 C.F.R. Part 1006)
These rules were implemented by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and apply to any patient balance and associated collections process and went into effect on December 1, 2021. Provisions of the bill that providers should be aware of include:
Standardizes initial demand letters for third party debt collectors and requires those agencies to include the choice of one: 1) date of service, 2) last statement date, 3) last payment date, 4) charge off date, or 5) judgment date.
Limits outbound phone calls to consumers and patients to no more than 7 call in a 7-day period.
Prohibits an agency from calling a consumer for 7 days after they have conversation with them about their account unless they have the consumer’s permission.
Prohibits agencies from reporting accounts to a consumer’s credit report unless they first send an initial demand letter.
Prohibits suing and threatening to sue on accounts that are past the relevant statute of limitations; and
Provides a path for debt collectors to be able to compliantly email consumers about their account.
No Surprises Act (45 C.F.R. 149.410-520)
The No Surprises Act went into effect on January 1, 2022 and implemented national restrictions and prohibitions on balance billing for emergency and non-emergency services for healthcare providers. Specifically, the No Surprises Act:
Prohibits providers and facilities from directly billing individuals for the difference between the amount they charge and the amount that the individual’s plan or coverage will pay plus the individual’s cost-sharing amounts (i.e., balance billing) in certain circumstances.
Requires providers and facilities to provide good-faith estimates of charges for care to uninsured (or self-pay) individuals upon scheduling care or on request, and for individuals with certain types of coverage, to submit good-faith estimates to the individual’s plan or issuer.
Creates a patient-provider dispute resolution process for uninsured (or self-pay) individuals to contest charges that are “substantially in excess” of the good faith estimate.
Requires certain providers and facilities to publicly disclose restrictions on balance billing; and
Limits the billed amounts in situations where a provider’s network status changes mid-treatment or individuals act on inaccurate provider directory information.
Prohibits providers and facilities from directly billing individuals for the difference between the amount they charge and the amount that the individual’s plan or coverage will pay plus the individual’s cost-sharing amounts (i.e., balance billing) in certain circumstances.
Prohibits balance billing for emergency services provided by out-of-network providers for emergency facilities.
Prohibits balance billing for non-emergency services by out-of-network providers at certain in-network health care facilities; and
Restricts how much providers and facilities can bill individuals 1) where the provider’s or facility’s network contract with the patient’s insurer is terminated during care, or 2) where a patient inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider based on inaccurate provider directory information.
Providers who have not reviewed these new rules need to update their billing, collection, and debt sale policies and procedures to ensure they are maximizing their self-pay and balance after insurance recoveries. For additional tips and best practices with implementation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Cascade365 as your trusted AR liquidity solution partner.
Cascade365 is a brand identity representing a family of companies focused on the responsible liquidation of accounts receivable. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Cascade365 Family of Companies are recognized leaders in the accounts receivable management, revenue cycle and specialty finance industries. Cascade365 offers healthcare providers and consumer lenders immediate and ongoing liquidity by purchasing distressed accounts receivable outright or managing them for a fee.
