The Kansas Office of Veterans Services is seeking competitive proposals from qualified vendors to provide Debt Collection Services for both the Kansas Veterans Home and the Kansas Soldiers Home. Collection Services shall retain a portion of amount collected as payment. 4.1 Requirements a) The Contractor will supplement the overall collection activities of the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. Before referring delinquent accounts, the Kansas Office of Veterans Services will make collection attempts. In some cases, liens may already be in place and personal responsibility established for business entities. b) The Contractor may also request that liens or personal liability claims be filed by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services on referred cases. Kansas Office of Veterans Services may continue to send delinquent accounts to the state setoff program while the case is placed with the Contractor. c) The Contractor shall strive to meet or exceed the minimum collection industry standards on recovering debt. d) The Contractor shall accept accounts placed by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services under terms of this agreement and will use best known collection industry practices to recover said accounts utilizing means legal, necessary and proper. e) The Contractor communication approach with past and present residents and their families shall be respectful, professional and courteous to motivate collection of debts, whether the communication is with the resident and/or with the legal POA. As a technology safeguard, the Contractor must use encrypted email or secure portals when communicating about an account and transmitting account information. f) The Contractor shall not allow use of threatening language or written test, intimidation, or unprofessional harassment in the collection process. g) The Contractor will employ a proven Quality Assurance Program as a risk mitigation preventative. h) The Contractor shall not violate any federal guidelines in regard to debt collection. If a complaint is registered with the Kansas Office of Veterans Services alleging inappropriate treatment of residents or their families by the Contractor, the Contractor will promptly evaluate the allegation utilizing listening to the applicable telephone contacts/calls and determine an outcome of the investigation with a definitive report, which will be communicated to the Kansas Office of Veterans Services leadership team. i) If the allegation/complaint investigation is determined unsuitable treatment of a resident or their family, the Contractor will take immediate action to remedy the violation. The Kansas Office of Veterans Services will also investigate the complaint, following Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Department for Aging and Disability Services regulations. j) Contractor will be assigned such cases as deemed appropriate by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. The assigned cases will be a variety of debts associated with types of care (e.g. long-term care, assisted living care, etc.). k) Contractor will initiate all wage garnishments. Contractor will have the ability to negotiate an increase or decrease in the amount of garnishments. All wage garnishments must be approved by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. l) Contractor agrees to promptly undertake the collection of all cases assigned by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services without regard to the amounts. Collection attempts shall include but are not limited to a reasonable number of telephone calls and mail efforts. Contractor agrees to use their most effective and timely efforts to resolve and collect each case assigned and will not allow cases to stall without collection actions being taken.
