ACA Releases White Paper on Healthcare Billing and Collection Practices

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Over the last year hospitals have become the focus of increasing media and regulatory attention regarding billing and collection policies, particularly relating to uninsured and underinsured patients. In order to provide factual information about the collection industry and its importance to the fiscal viability of healthcare providers, ACA International, the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA), has released a white paper titled ?Healthcare Billing and Collections: The Industry Perspective.?

The report, developed by ACA?s Healthcare Services Program and Government Affairs Department, provides a summary of what a healthcare billing and collection agency does, how a relationship is formed between a healthcare provider and a billing and collection agency, how a healthcare provider and a billing and collection agency work together to resolve unpaid medical debts, and an overview of the complex web of laws and regulations that dictate the manner in which a healthcare collection agency?s services are rendered. In response to the evolving receivables needs of their healthcare provider clients, ACA members now provide numerous services to care providers, representing the full cycle of accounts receivable management, that reduce the business cost of healthcare delivery.

The complete white paper and supporting materials are available to ACA members and non-member organizations by visiting the ACA Web site at http://www.acainternational.org/intcontent.aspx?cid=3177&sid=1.

ACA International, formerly known as the American Collectors Association, is the association of credit and collection professionals. Founded in 1939, ACA International has approximately 5,300 members, including third-party collection agencies, attorneys, credit grantors and vendor affiliates. Headquartered in Minneapolis, ACA International serves members in the United States, Canada and 58 other countries worldwide. For more information on ACA International visit www.acainternational.org.