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Answers for revenue recovery teams

Straight answers to the questions collections, revenue cycle and customer contact leaders ask before they change anything: what it costs, what the rules say and how to compare options.

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The short answerLast reviewed Nov 2, 2026

TSI's learning center answers the questions recovery leaders ask before they change a program. It starts with the rules: what counts toward Regulation F's 7-in-7 call limit, what the FCC's TCPA order changes on Nov 25, 2026, and where bank vendor oversight guidance stands, plus a glossary of collections terms. Every page names its sources and the date it was last reviewed.

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Collections

CollectionsWhat counts toward Regulation F's 7-in-7 call limit?How Regulation F counts calls toward its 7-in-7 presumption: per person and per debt, which calls are excluded, how consent works and what records to keep.CollectionsWhat does the FCC's TCPA consent revocation order change, and when?The FCC's TCPA consent revocation order takes effect Nov 25, 2026: what changes for informational calls and texts, exclusive opt-outs and what to fix first.CollectionsWhat do collection agencies charge, and what do you net after fees?Published contingency rates run 20% to 50% of amounts recovered. See what moves the rate, which costs it leaves out and how to compare net-back.CollectionsWhat should a collection services RFP include, and how should you score it?The criteria, weights, model questions and scoring scale for a collection agency RFP, with a free editable template for up to 5 agencies.CollectionsShould you sell charged-off accounts or keep placing them?Compare a buyer's bid with what placement nets after fees, costs and time. FTC data on portfolios bought in 2006-2009 puts the average at 4 cents a dollar.CollectionsHow does an account move from placement to close, including disputes, recalls and credit reporting?The 7 steps a placed collection account goes through at TSI, from file checks and the first notice to disputes, credit reporting, recalls and close.CollectionsWhich collection agencies are licensed in all 50 states, and how do you verify a license?No public list shows which collection agencies are licensed in all 50 states. What the claim should mean, and how to check any agency's licenses yourself.CollectionsHow are collection calls monitored, scored and root-caused?TSI records every collection call, scores each one with speech analytics, has people review flagged and sampled calls, and root-causes repeat failures.CollectionsWhat should you ask a collection agency about your data at contract end?7 questions to ask a collection agency about your data at contract end: what it must keep by law, what it returns, when it destroys the rest, and proof.CollectionsBest collection agencies for businesses: how to compare them in 2026How to compare collection agencies for your business: the 8 criteria that matter, the types of provider, and a dated list of agencies and alternatives to shortlist.CollectionsHow do you choose a collection agency?Shortlist collection agencies on license, record and fit, then let a split placement pick the winner. Where to check each claim and what to contract for.CollectionsHow do you switch collection agencies without losing recoveries?Switch collection agencies with a run-off that keeps every account worked. A 90-day plan, the data file to demand and what restarts under Regulation F.CollectionsWhat recovery rate should you expect from a collection agency?No reliable industry-wide recovery rate exists. See why, which public figures do exist and their caveats, and how to measure an agency's net-back yourself.CollectionsShould you keep collections in-house or outsource them?Compare what your own team nets with what an agency nets after fees. Free calculator, a worked example and the costs most comparisons leave out.CollectionsWhen should you send an account to a collection agency?Set the placement day from signals like lost contact, broken promises and the age where your team stops recovering. A decision table plus the legal clocks.

Compliance

ComplianceWhat changes for collection vendor oversight under the proposed third-party guidance?The OCC, Fed, FDIC and NCUA proposed replacing the 2023 third-party guidance. What stays in force, and what to keep doing with agencies and law firms.ComplianceDebt collection laws: what applies to creditors and to the agencies they hireWhich debt collection laws apply to creditors, which apply to the agencies you hire, and what you answer for either way: FDCPA, Reg F, UDAAP, TCPA, FCRA, state law.

Revenue cycle

Revenue cycleWhat does a denied claim cost to work, and below what value does an appeal lose money?Premier's survey put the cost of fighting a denial at $57.23 per claim for 2023. Find the claim value below which an appeal costs more than it brings back.Revenue cycleEarly-out and bad debt: what do they cost, and what do they recover?Vendor-quoted fees run 8% to 15% for early-out and 15% to 35% for bad debt. See what moves the price, how to measure recovery and what you net after fees.Revenue cycleWhat should a hospital include in an RFP for early-out and bad-debt collection services?Gates, weighted criteria, 501(r), HIPAA and No Surprises Act questions, and a scoring scale for an early-out or bad-debt vendor RFP, with a free template.Revenue cycleWhat is revenue cycle management (RCM) in healthcare?Revenue cycle management (RCM) is how a provider gets paid for care, from scheduling to the last patient dollar. The steps, the KPIs and where cash leaks.Revenue cycleDays in AR: the formula, a calculator and the RCM KPIs that move itDays in AR = accounts receivable ÷ average daily revenue. Use the calculator, then see the 8 RCM KPIs that explain why your number moved.Revenue cycleWhat is revenue integrity in healthcare?Revenue integrity makes sure a hospital bills for all the care it gives, and only for the care it gives. What it covers, who owns it and the KPIs that show it's working.Revenue cycleHospital price transparency in 2026: what the rules require and what changedWhat hospital price transparency requires in 2026: the machine-readable file, shoppable services, the new median allowed amounts, CEO attestation and penalties.Revenue cycleRevenue cycle management companies: how to compare them in 2026How to compare revenue cycle management companies: end-to-end outsourcers, software and partial-scope partners, 8 criteria, and a dated list buyers often shortlist.Revenue cycleWhat is a good claim denial rate?Published initial denial rates run about 8% for practices to 12-15% for hospitals. Compare your rate on the same definition, by payer and by final denials.Revenue cycleShould a hospital outsource denial management?Outsource denials when backlog, staffing or payer mix outruns your team, and keep prevention in-house. A decision table, sourcing models and the fee math.Revenue cycleHow should a health system evaluate a healthcare RCM partner?Judge an RCM partner on results from your own claims, by payer and denial class. What to baseline, a scorecard and contract terms that allow a test.Revenue cycleHow long do you have to appeal a denied claim?Medicare allows 120 days from receipt, Medicare Advantage 60 (65 from the notice date), Medicaid plans 60 and ACA plans at least 180. Rules and a calendar.Revenue cycleWhat's the difference between EBO, early-out and bad debt collections?EBO, early-out and bad debt differ in whose name is on the account, which rules apply and what they cost. Definitions, 501(r) steps and 2027 Medicaid.Revenue cycleClaim denial statistics for 2026Claim denial statistics for 2026: denial rates by source, the cost to fight a denial, Medicare Advantage prior auth, patient payments and Medicaid in 2027.Revenue cycleWhat changes for hospital self-pay when Medicaid renewals and work requirements start in January 2027?From Jan 1, 2027, most states must run Medicaid work requirements, renew expansion adults every 6 months and cut retro coverage to 1 month. Key dates.Revenue cycleWhat does the 1-month limit on retroactive Medicaid coverage mean for hospital self-pay from January 1, 2027?For applications on or after Jan 1, 2027, Medicaid retro coverage for expansion adults reaches back 1 month, down from up to 3. A worked example.Revenue cycleHow should hospitals screen self-pay accounts for coverage and charity care before collections?Screen self-pay at registration and again before the first statement. What to check, in what order, and how 501(r) timing fits for tax-exempt hospitals.

Customer contact

Customer contactWhat is BPO (business process outsourcing)?BPO (business process outsourcing) means hiring another company to run a business process for you, like customer care or back-office work. Types, examples, costs.Customer contactCall center outsourcing companies: how to compare them in 2026How to compare outsourced call center and customer service companies: 8 criteria, the types of provider, and a dated list of firms buyers often shortlist.Customer contactHow do you staff a contact center for outage and storm call spikes?Size an outage call spike with a worked staffing example, layer automation and standby agents, and set written triggers before storm season starts.Customer contactWhat should a utility or healthcare provider ask before outsourcing customer contact?16 questions a utility or healthcare provider should ask a contact center vendor, with the rule behind each and what a good answer looks like.

Glossaries

GlossaryWhat do common debt collection terms mean?Plain definitions of 25 debt collection terms, from charge-off and placement to the FDCPA and Regulation F, each linked to its primary source.GlossariesWhat do common revenue cycle terms mean?Plain definitions of 24 revenue cycle terms, from AR days and clean claims to 501(r) and the No Surprises Act, each linked to its primary source.

How these pages are made

Each page starts from a question buyers ask, gets drafted by TSI Marketing and is reviewed by a TSI subject expert. Pages that state a legal rule also go to TSI's Compliance & Legal team.

Every outside figure names its publisher and year so you can check it. Where TSI sells a service the page discusses, the page says so.

General information, current as of Nov 2, 2026. It isn't legal advice. Rules change and differ by state, so check the sources linked here and talk to your own counsel before you act on it.

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