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COMMUNITY GROUP CALLS OUT HOSPITAL FOR ‘RUTHLESS’ DEBT COLLECTIONS
- A community activist group in Washington state has outlined what it calls the “ruthless” debt collection practices of a local hospital. According to the group, which surveyed 300 neighborhood residents of the hospital, 53% of patients did not receive a bill prior to being sent to collections and 54% say they were not notified of financial assistance programs, like charity care, offered by the hospital.
STUDENT LOANS PUSHING SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS INTO POVERTY
- The federal government is garnishing more Social Security checks to take money owed for unpaid student loans, according to a report issued last week by the Government Accountability Office. Last year, the $171 million was taken from 114,000 Americans over the age of 50 who were receiving Social Security, mostly in the form of disability benefits. The garnishments left 67,000 of those people under the poverty line.
TCPA TURNS 25 YEARS OLD. FCC CHAIRMAN CELEBRATES
- The Telephone Consumer Protection Act turns 25 years old this week, and outgoing FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler used the birthday as a opportunity to express his “strong support” for the protections that the law has provided to consumers. “The TCPA remains the best legal tool we have to protect and empower consumers,” Wheeler said, when it comes to giving them the power to decide which calls they want to receive.
501(r) NOT GOING ANYWHERE DESPITE SPECULATION ABOUT FUTURE OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
- With all the talk, rumors, and speculation about what will happen to the Affordable Care Act once President-elect Trump takes office next month, it is worth noting that nobody expects Section 501(r) of the law to go away. For the uninitiated, 501(r) sets forth specific collection and billing rules for tax-exempt hospitals. Here is an overview of the section and an update on the actions taken by the Internal Revenue Service in its first year of enforcement.
WORTH NOTING: The 10 best business lessons of 2016 … CEOs of seven companies share their bizarre morning routines and habits … How often do you say this “stupid” three-word phrase that could ruin your credibility? I don’t think I’ve ever said it … Ikea wants people to stop trying to sleep over in its stores … Three rules of branding from Tim Ferriss … A worrisome investigation by USA Today shows that teachers who sexually abuse students still manage to find new classroom jobs … College bowl games mean big bucks for the economies that host them … North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” does not get repealed … Americans might not be eating out as much, but they sure are ordering a lot of pizza.
How to know when it’s time to quit your job
Chewbacca sings “Silent Night”
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The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN, a leading provider of cloud-based call center technology for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies worldwide.
