Collections Officer

12-31-19

Does your county have a Collections Officer?  If so, what are their duties.  If you do not have a Collections Officer, who fulfills pieces of that role (Case Aide, Eligibility Worker, etc.)? 

Do any county’s contract out for this service?  IF so, specifically what?

Thank you.

Erin Marks

Watonwan County

Here is a link to where it was asked over a year ago. I am sure there are updates that could be very helpful for everyone.
  NOTE: this will take you to our old blog. It is still active so we can use the history from it. 

https://amssaconference.blogspot.com/2018/10/collections-officer-position.html

Combining Public Health with Human Services

12-30-19

I have been assigned to a committee to analyze combining Public Health with Human Services.  We are located in separate buildings and there is no plan to combine us into one location, so if we combined the director would oversee two locations.  If your county combined and you have any advice or words of wisdom to share regarding the positives and negatives of combining, I would appreciate your help.  Each committee member is reaching out to their peers across the state to gather info and then we will be combing everything into one document for the County Board to review and make a decision.

Thank you,

Amie Gendron

Administrative Services Supervisor

Wadena County Human Services

124 1^st ST SE

Wadena, MN  56482

Telephone:  218-632-2535

Fax:  218-631-7616

Volunteer Drivers and 1099s

11-22-19

What kind of feedback did you hear from your volunteer drivers last year when 1099s were issued?  If you did issue to your drivers, what box did you use for the income type?  I’m trying to be in a better spot with this year and have a better response to our drivers when they are questioning the 1099 again.

Thanks!

Jen Albjerg

Fiscal Manager

Grant County Social Services

Grant County Highway Dept

Region IV Adult Mental Health Initiative

Email:  jennifer.albjerg@co.grant.mn.us

Phone:  218-685-8218

Fax:  218-685-4978

Fiscal Orientation Checklist

10-21-19

Does anyone have a fiscal orientation checklist that you go through with new employees that you are willing to share?

Thank you.

Erin Sandbo-Marks

Watonwan County

MA Estate Recovery question

10-15-19

We have the person who is currently working our MA Estate Recoveries is retiring next spring.  We are looking at contracting her back to do just this piece of collections temporarily.  I’d like to somehow offset the settle up for MA Estate Recovery cases with the amount that is charged by her for each case like we would do with out of pocket expenses as part of that collections process.  How do you…how would you… handle this?  I’m making a last run through my budget before I meet with our budget committee and want to figure this in wherever it is appropriate.  Any insight is appreciated!

Thanks,

Jen Albjerg

Fiscal Manager

Grant County Social Services

Grant County Highway Dept

Region IV Adult Mental Health Initiative

Email:  jennifer.albjerg@co.grant.mn.us

Phone:  218-685-8218

Fax:  218-685-4978

Volunteer Drivers & 1099's

10-02-19

What changes have you made to how you pay volunteer drivers after making it through the 2018 tax season?  We have lost a few drivers and have a few others that still believe that they should not receive a 1099 and refuse to sign a W-9.  How are you coding your 1099s?  Do you have any good information that has surfaced through this process?

Jen Albjerg

Fiscal Manager

Grant County Social Services

Grant County Highway Dept

Region IV Adult Mental Health Initiative

Email:  jennifer.albjerg@co.grant.mn.us

Phone:  218-685-8218

Fax:  218-685-4978

Leasing Vehicles

09-20-19

Hi.

Wadena is considering leasing vehicles and heard a presentation from Enterprise Fleet Services.  Do any counties use another fleet leasing service and if so, which company and do you have a contact person you can share their info?

Thank you,

Amie Gendron

Administrative Services Supervisor

Wadena County Human Services

124 1^st ST SE

Wadena, MN  56482

Telephone:  218-632-2535

Fax:  218-631-7616

E-connect issues

09-18-19

Does anyone use MN-Econnect and/or Availity for billing EW or Ability Care case mgmt.? I have been running into many issues with E-connect and am considering Availity.

Please email me if you have used either. Thank you!

angie.lawson@mnprairie.org

Thank you,

ANGIE LAWSON

ACCOUNT TECHNICIAN

MINNESOTA PRAIRIE COUNTY ALLIANCE

(P) (507)-431-5613

(F) (507)-451-5947

630 FLORENCE AVE

OWATONNA MN 55060

Angie.lawson@mnprairie.org

www.mnprairie.org

Registered Dietitian billing

09-12-19

We have a Registered Dietician within our Public Health Department, and are wondering if any other counties are or know if we can bill insurance for her time spent working with high risk families as a dietician as opposed to her coding that time as WIC?  Is this something we would need to be Medicare certified as an agency to bill for?  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Carli Goble

Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer

Aitkin County Health & Human Services

Accounting Department

204 1st Street NW

Aitkin, MN 56431

Phone (218) 927-7200

Rep Payee Directory

09-09-19

I am looking to compile a directory of Rep Payee companies throughout the state.  

Due to the April Changes in Social Security Rules a rep payee must be located within 70 miles from the individual that is being served.    

This means counties that place people further than 70 miles from the individual that is serving rep payee are having to locate someone else to serve.   It is also affecting private individuals who are coming to the counties to find someone that could serve.  

I have received calls from other counties seeking information on who is available in our area (Beltrami)  and have passed on the information. Our county does not want to serve as rep payee for individuals that we are not doing case management on so we refer them out if they are not case managed here.

Amber Gamache

Accounting Technician

Beltrami County Health and Human Services

218-333-4277 phone

218-333-4131 fax

PMAP procedures questions/examples

07-31-19

I’m interested in getting examples of procedures for entering PMAP claims for TCM into MN E Connect and Availity.

In particular I am interested in what documentation folks are savings for audit purposes and how long.

Thanks

Lisa

Lisa Stadler

Accounting and Collections Supervisor

Rice County Social Services

507-384-6438

Provider Tax/Service Category

07-31-19

There was a topic brought up at the last Public Health Regional Meeting regarding the Provider Tax.  Are other counties including public health home visits in the gross receipt section?  What service category are you including this under?

Thanks!

Carli Goble

Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer

Aitkin County Health & Human Services

Accounting Department

204 1st Street NW

Aitkin, MN 56431

Phone (218) 927-7200

FC Mileage and other expenses

07-11-19

We are updating our Foster Care Handbook, and are wondering how other counties are handling non-medical mileage reimbursement.  Are you including it all in the MAPCY rate, gas cards, paying full federal rate for each eligible trip?

Any other options would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Carli Goble

Fiscal Supervisor/Collections Officer

Aitkin County Health & Human Services

Accounting Department

204 1st Street NW

Aitkin, MN 56431

Phone (218) 927-7200

Road Side Assistance

06-26-19

Do any counties purchase road side assistance coverage for their staff when using agency vehicles?  Can you share your county process for when a staff person breaks down in a county car? 

Thank you,

Amie Gendron

Administrative Services Supervisor

Wadena County Human Services

124 1^st ST SE

Wadena, MN  56482

Telephone:  218-632-2535

Fax:  218-631-7616

Blog Suggestions

06-26-19

What are things you would like to see on our blog/website that would help counties?


I will say that I would like to make sure staff share the blog questions with their staff and encourage them to answer blog questions if it is their area.

I am going to add a page for best practices. If people think they have something down pat and want to share that knowledge they can write something up. That way others can contact them.

Please take a spin around the blog and either write comments on this post or email them directly to shelley.koen@mnprairie.org

FYI - the conference handouts are in the process of being added. Hopefully that will be complete this week. I am going to include the snip-it from the agenda and then  put the handout link below the verbage. Great seeing everyone.

Testing a new blog

06-19-19

Just playing around and testing a different set up. Feel free to leave comments below but don't shred me...