RBD HUDBlast – August 19, 2005
A lot has been going on in the last few weeks and we apologize for the length of this email, but we want to make sure you have the most up to date information from HUD.
The following announcements were posted to the TRACS/Announcements page this week.
You can see all TRACS announcements on the TRACS/Announcements web page at
http://www.hud.gov/utilities/intercept.cfm?/offices/hsg/mfh/trx/announcements.pdf
Posted August 16, 2005
TRACS Will Extend the Active Tenant Count Period
Used for Compliance Purposes
Under an upcoming software release, TRACS is changing the Tenant Compliance methodology used to identify and count “Active Tenants”. This change will bring the tenant compliance rules in line with other TRACS business rules governing active certifications and households.
Currently, any active household certification that became effective within the past 13 months is considered an “Active Tenant”. With the new release effective August 19, 2005, the Tenant Count period will be expanded. For those households receiving assistance, the most recent TRACS certification will be counted as “Active” if the Certification Effective Date falls within the past 15 months (retroactive from Current System Date). This enhancement will provide more consistency with the Active Tenants displayed within the TRACS Certification Query.
TRACS will continue to perform the Active Tenant Count process every business day in order to provide current compliance “snapshots“, regardless of voucher submission timing or Subsidy Type.
Questions concerning this change should be directed to the TRACS Helpdesk at 1-800-767-7588.
Posted August 16, 2005
TRACS is Enhancing the Certification Query
On August 29, 2005, TRACS will release a new version of the Certification Query that will indicate those certifications that are counted as “Active Tenants” for compliance purposes. The enhanced Certification List “highlights” all certification records that are counted as Active Tenants and included in the Compliance Percentage calculation, for any selected contract.
This improvement will help eliminate confusion over which certifications are counted as “Active”, and allow TRACS users to reconcile their portfolio with the official Active Tenant Count in TRACS.
Questions concerning this change may be directed to the TRACS Helpdesk at 1-800-767-7588.
RBD considers these two announcements to be GREAT NEWS!! This means that the optimum compliance percentage of 85% will be calculated in a manner more in line with the handbook. Also, you will now be able to clearly understand which households are considered “active” in TRACS without having to sift through the information displayed on the certification query.
For those of you who do not have access to the TRACS systems in Secure Systems, this is one more reason why you want to sign up.
Thanks HUD for the enhancements to the Queries!!
2006 New Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
Beginning January 1, 2006, prescription drug coverage will be available to all Americans with Medicare. Every person with Medicare, no matter how they get their health care today or whether they have existing drug coverage will be eligible for drug coverage under a Medicare prescription drug plan.
Detailed information about the plans will be available in mid-October. Residents receiving Medicare may receive a "Medicare & You 2006" handbook that will list the Medicare prescription drug plan available in your area.
Insurance companies and other private companies will work with Medicare to offer these drug plans. Medicare prescription drug plans will be available in every part of the country, and all plans will cover both brand name and generic drugs. Medicare prescription drug plans provide insurance coverage for prescription drugs. Like other insurance, if people with Medicare join they will pay a monthly premium (generally around $37 in 2006) and pay a share of the cost of their prescriptions. Costs will vary depending on the drug plan that is chosen.
Additional information can be found on the following web sites.
Information Partners Can Use on Housing Assistance from the Department of Housing & Urban Development New Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage as of July 18, 2005 http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicarereform/hud.pdf
Additional forms for you and your residents to better understand the new coverage can be found on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services web site. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicarereform/factsheets.asp
Mileage Deduction to Be Included in Medical Expense Deduction
The Internal Revenue Service released the optional standard
mileage rates to use for 2005 in computing the deductible costs of operating an
automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2005, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
Please keep in mind that qualified households (elderly/disabled) can include mileage in their medical expense deduction calculation. Your residents should provide an automobile mileage log, available at any office supply store, to document mileage.
New Rules for Disposal of Consumer Report Information and Record
Effective June 1, 2005
Roxie Munn of Roxie Munn, Inc. (www.roxiemunn.com) has researched the FTC Disposal Law that went into effect on June 1, 2005. This rule does not impose a “timeline” for disposal just the way that sensitive information is disposed.
In accordance with the FTC “Disposal of Consumer Report Information and Record”, any applicant or resident files that are purged based on the Records and Retention Policy must be disposed of properly. A "proper" disposal of this information must be one that is reasonable and appropriate to prevent any unauthorized access to personal information.
Approved disposal methods include:
Notification to HUD of Erroneous Social Security Errors
Several industry stakeholders have appealed to HUD to provide help in reducing the number of Social Security Error messages received from TASS. Elking Tarver at HUD has volunteered to assist owners/agents in their efforts to correct Social Security errors for the following MAT errors:
The first thing you must do is to double check the information submitted to ensure that it was entered correctly. If the information was entered in error, you should correct the errors and submit those corrections to HUD or to your Contract Administrator. Submit Errors using the Social Security Errors Cleanup form.
If the error appears to be with the Social Security Administration (TASS), you will need to fill out one form per person/household. Fax a copy of the form directly to Elking Tarver; his fax number is included on the form.
HUD is taking these reports directly to the Social Security Administration for correction. PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ANY ERRORS OTHER THAN THE ONES MENTIONED ABOVE.
You can obtain a copy of the Social Security Errors Cleanup from the TRACS/Documents web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/trx/trxdocs.cfm
RealPage Sponsors TRACS and Occupancy Training in Dallas, Texas (Carrollton)
RealPage, Inc. (www.realpage.com) has partnered with Ross Business Development, Inc. (RBD) (www.rbdnow.com) to provide TRACS, Income & Eligibility Verification and Resident Selection Training in Dallas. This class is open to all interested property management professionals.
Training will include a one-day TRACS Industry Update on October 11, 2005 and a one-day Income & Eligibility Verification/Resident Selection Plan Development class on October 12, 2005.
As a result of the RealPage sponsorship, RBD is able to offer the classes at a reduced rate of $175 per day (vs. $249 per day). Students who register for both classes will receive a copy of the 4350.3 Revision 1, Change 1 on CD (a $65 value). For additional information, visit our web site at www.rbdnow.com/classes.htm or call our training coordinator at (770) 426-0577.
RBD Offers Training Nationwide