A contract between CMS and a carrier specifies the functions to be performed by the carrier. The contract may include any or all of the following functions:

(a) Any or all of the program integrity functions described in § 421.304 provided the following conditions are met:

(1) The carrier is continuing those functions under a contract entered into under section 1842 of the Act that was in effect on August 21, 1996.

(2) The functions do not duplicate work being performed under a Medicare integrity program contract, except that the function related to developing and maintaining a list of DME may be performed under both a carrier contract and a Medicare integrity program contract.

(b) Receiving, disbursing, and accounting for funds in making payments for services furnished to eligible individuals within the jurisdiction of the carrier.

(c) Determining the amount of payment for services furnished to an eligible individual.

(d) Undertaking to adjust incorrect payments and recover overpayments when it is determined that an overpayment was made.

(e) Furnishing to CMS timely information and reports that CMS requests in order to carry out its responsibilities in the administration of the Medicare program.

(f) Maintaining records and making available to CMS the records necessary for verification of payments and for other related purposes.

(g) Establishing and maintaining procedures under which an individual enrolled under Part B is granted an opportunity for a redetermination.

(h) Upon inquiry, assisting individuals with matters pertaining to a carrier contract.

(i) Serving as a channel of communication to and from CMS of information, instructions, and other material as necessary for the effective and efficient performance of a carrier contract.

(j) Undertaking other functions as mutually agreed to by CMS and the carrier.

[72 FR 48886, Aug. 24, 2007]

(a) Application of performance criteria and standards. As part of the carrier evaluations mandated by section 1842(b)(2) of the Act, CMS periodically assesses the performance of carriers in their Medicare operations using performance criteria and standards.

(1) The criteria measure and evaluate carrier performance of functional responsibilities such as—

(i) Accurate and timely payment determinations;

(ii) Responsiveness to beneficiary, physician, and supplier concerns; and

(iii) Proper management of administrative funds.

(2) The standards evaluate the specific requirements of each functional responsibility or criterion.

(b) Basis for criteria and standards. CMS bases the performance criteria and standards on—

(1) Nationwide carrier experience;

(2) Changes in carrier operations due to fiscal constraints; and

(3) CMS's objectives in achieving better performance.

(c) Publication of criteria and standards. Before the beginning of each evaluation period, which usually coincides with the Federal fiscal year period of October 1-September 30, CMS publishes the performance criteria and standards as a notice in the Federal Register. CMS may not necessarily publish the criteria and standards every year. CMS interprets the statutory phrase “before the beginning of each evaluation period” as allowing publication of the criteria and standards after the Federal fiscal year begins, as long as the evaluation period of the carriers for the new criteria and standards begins after the publication of the notice.

[59 FR 682, Jan. 6, 1994]

Before entering into or renewing a carrier contract, CMS determines that the carrier—

(a) Has the capacity to perform its contractual responsibilities effectively and efficiently;

(b) Has the financial responsibility and legal authority necessary to carry out its responsibilities; and

(c) Will be able to meet any other requirements CMS considers pertinent, and, if designated a regional DMEPOS carrier, any special requirements for regional carriers under § 421.210 of this subpart.

[45 FR 42179, June 23, 1980, as amended at 57 FR 27307, June 18, 1992]

(a) Failure by a carrier to meet, or demonstrate the capacity to meet, the criteria and standards specified in § 421.201 may be grounds for adverse action by the Secretary, such as contract termination or non-renewal.

(b) Notwithstanding whether or not a carrier meets the criteria and standards specified in § 421.201, if the cost incurred by the carrier to meet its contractual requirements exceeds the amount that CMS finds to be reasonable and adequate to meet the cost which must be incurred by an efficiently and economically operated carrier, those high costs may also be grounds for adverse action.

[59 FR 682, Jan. 6, 1994]

(a) Cause for termination. The Secretary may terminate a contract with a carrier at any time if he or she determines that the carrier has failed substantially to carry out any material terms of the contract or has performed its function in a manner inconsistent with the effective and efficient administration of the Medicare Part B program.

(b) Notice and opportunity for hearing. Upon notification of the Secretary's intent to terminate the contract, the carrier may request a hearing within 20 days after the date on the notice of intent to terminate.

(c) Hearing procedures. The hearing procedures will be those specified in § 421.128(c).

(a) Basis. This section is based on sections 1834(a)(12) and 1834(h) of the Act, which authorize the Secretary to designate one carrier for one or more entire regions to process claims for durable medical equipment, prosthetic devices, prosthetics, orthotics, and other supplies (DMEPOS). This authority has been delegated to CMS.

(b) Types of claims. Claims for the following, except for items incident to a physician's professional service as defined in § 410.26, incident to a physician's service in a rural health clinic as defined in § 405.2413, or bundled into payment to a provider, ambulatory surgical center, or other facility, are processed by the designated carrier for its designated region and not by other carriers—

(1) Durable medical equipment (and related supplies) as defined in section 1861(n) of the Act;

(2) Prosthetic devices (and related supplies) as described in section 1861(s)(8) of the Act, (including intraocular lenses and parenteral and enteral nutrients, supplies, and equipment, when furnished under the prosthetic device benefit);

(3) Orthotics and prosthetics (and related supplies) as described in section 1861(s)(9);

(4) Home dialysis supplies and equipment as described in section 1861(s)(2)(F);

(5) Surgical dressings and other devices as described in section 1861(s)(5);

(6) Immunosuppressive drugs as described in section 1861(s)(2)(J); and

(7) Other items or services which are designated by CMS.

(c) Region designation. (1) The boundaries of the initial four regions for processing claims described in paragraph (b) of this section contain the following States and territories:

(i) Region A: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

(ii) Region B: Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

(iii) Region C: North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

(iv) Region D: Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri.

(2) CMS has the option to modify the number and boundaries of the regions established in paragraph (c)(1) of this section based on appropriate criteria and considerations, including the effect of the change on beneficiaries and DMEPOS suppliers. To announce changes, CMS publishes a notice in the Federal Register that delineates the regional boundary or boundaries changed, the States and territories affected, and supporting criteria or considerations.

(d) Criteria for designating regional carriers. CMS designates regional carriers to achieve a greater degree of effectiveness and efficiency in the administration of the Medicare program. In making this designation, CMS will award regional carrier contracts in accordance with applicable law and will consider some or all of the following criteria—

(1) Timeliness of claim processing;

(2) Cost per claim;

(3) Claim processing quality;

(4) Experience in claim processing, and in establishing local medical review policy; and

(5) Other criteria that CMS believes to be pertinent.

(e) Carrier designation. (1) Each carrier designated a regional carrier must process claims for items listed in paragraph (b) of this section for beneficiaries whose permanent residence is within that carrier's region as designated under paragraph (c) of this section. When processing the claims, the carrier must use the payment rates applicable for the State of residence of the beneficiary, including a qualified Railroad Retirement beneficiary. A beneficiary's permanent residence is the address at which he or she intends to spend 6 months or more of the calendar year.

(2) CMS notifies affected Medicare beneficiaries and suppliers when it designates a regional carrier (in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section) to process DMEPOS claims (as defined in paragraph (b) of this section) for all Medicare beneficiaries residing in their respective regions (as designated under paragraph (c) of this section).

(3) CMS may contract for the performance of National Supplier Clearinghouse functions through a contract amendment to one of the DME regional carrier contracts or through a contract amendment to any Medicare carrier contract under § 421.200.

(4) CMS periodically recompetes the contracts for the DME regional carriers. CMS also periodically recompetes the National Supplier Clearinghouse function.

(f) Collecting information of ownership. Carriers designated as regional claims processors must obtain from each supplier of items listed in paragraph (b) of this section information concerning ownership and control as required by section 1124A of the Act and part 420 of this chapter, and certifications that supplier standards are met as required by part 424 of this chapter.

[57 FR 27307, June 18, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 60796, Nov. 18, 1993; 70 FR 9239, Feb. 25, 2005]

In accordance with this subpart C, the Railroad Retirement Board contracts with DMEPOS regional carriers designated by CMS, as set forth in § 421.210(e)(2), for processing claims for Medicare-eligible Railroad Retirement beneficiaries, for the same contract period as the contracts entered into between CMS and the DMEPOS regional carriers.

[58 FR 60797, Nov. 18, 1993]

(a) Scope and applicability. This section provides for the following:

(1) Sets forth requirements and procedures for the issuance and recovery of advance payments to suppliers of Part B services and the rights and responsibilities of suppliers under the payment and recovery process.

(2) Does not limit CMS's right to recover unadjusted advance payment balances.

(3) Does not affect suppliers' appeal rights under part 405, subpart H of this chapter relating to substantive determinations on suppliers' claims.

(4) Does not apply to claims for Part B services furnished by suppliers that have in effect provider agreements under section 1866 of the Act and part 489 of this chapter, and are paid by intermediaries.

(b) Definition. As used in this section, advance payment means a conditional partial payment made by the contractor in response to a claim that it is unable to process within established time limits except as provided in paragraph (j) of this section.

(c) When advance payments may be made. Unless otherwise qualified under paragraph (j) of this section, an advance payment may be made if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The carrier is unable to process the claim timely.

(2) CMS determines that the prompt payment interest provision specified in section 1842(c) of the Act is insufficient to make a claimant whole.

(3) CMS approves, in writing to the carrier, the making of an advance payment by the carrier.

(d) When advance payments are not made. Advance payments are not made to any supplier that meets any of the following conditions:

(1) Is delinquent in repaying a Medicare overpayment.

(2) Has been advised of being under active medical review or program integrity investigation.

(3) Has not submitted any claims.

(4) Has not accepted claims' assignments within the most recent 180-day period preceding the system malfunction.

(5) Is in bankruptcy.

(e) Requirements for suppliers. (1) Except as provided for in paragraph (g)(1) of this section, a supplier must request, in writing to the carrier, an advance payment for Part B services it furnished.

(2) A supplier must accept an advance payment as a conditional payment subject to adjustment, recoupment, or both, based on an eventual determination of the actual amount due on the claim and subject to the provisions of this section.

(f) Requirements for carriers. (1) A carrier must notify a supplier as soon as it is determined that payment will not be made in a timely manner, and an advance payment option is to be offered to the supplier.

(i) Unless otherwise qualified under paragraph (j) of this section, a contractor must calculate an advance payment for a particular claim at no more than 80 percent of the anticipated payment for that claim based upon the historical assigned claims payment data as defined in paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of this section for claims paid to the supplier. For suppliers qualifying and approved for advance payments under paragraph (j) of this section, a contractor may calculate an advance payment for a particular claim at up to 100 percent of the anticipated payment for that claim based upon the historical assigned claims payment data as defined in paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of this section for claims paid to the supplier.

(ii) “Historical data” are defined as a representative 90-day assigned claims payment trend within the most recent 180-day experience before the system malfunction.

(iii) Based on this amount and the number of claims pending for the supplier, the carrier must determine and issue advance payments.

(iv) If historical data are not available or if backlogged claims cannot be identified, the carrier must determine and issue advance payments based on some other methodology approved by CMS.

(v) Advance payments can be made no more frequently than once every 2 weeks to a supplier.

(2) Generally, a supplier will not receive advance payments for more assigned claims than were paid, on a daily average, for the 90-day period before the system malfunction.

(3) A carrier must recover an advance payment by applying it against the amount due on the claim on which the advance was made. If the advance payment exceeds the Medicare payment amount, the carrier must apply the unadjusted balance of the advance payment against future Medicare payments due the supplier.

(4) In accordance with CMS instructions, a carrier must maintain a financial system of data in accordance with the Statement of Federal Financial Accounting Standards for tracking each advance payment and its recoupment.

(g) Requirements for CMS. (1) In accordance with the provisions of this section, CMS may determine that circumstances warrant the issuance of advance payments to all affected suppliers furnishing Part B services. CMS may waive the requirement in paragraph (e)(1) of this section as part of that determination.

(2) If adjusting Medicare payments fails to recover an advance payment, CMS may authorize the use of any other recoupment method available (for example, lump sum repayment or an extended repayment schedule) including, upon written notice from the carrier to the supplier, converting any unpaid balances of advance payments to overpayments. Overpayments are recovered in accordance with part 401, subpart F of this chapter concerning claims collection and compromise and part 405, subpart C of this chapter concerning recovery of overpayments.

(h) Prompt payment interest. An advance payment is a “payment” under section 1842(c)(2)(C) of the Act for purposes of meeting the time limit for the payment of clean claims, to the extent of the advance payment.

(i) Notice, review, and appeal rights. (1) The decision to advance payments and the determination of the amount of any advance payment are committed to CMS's discretion and are not subject to review or appeal.

(2) The carrier must notify the supplier receiving an advance payment about the amounts advanced and recouped and how any Medicare payment amounts have been adjusted.

(3) The supplier may request an administrative review from the carrier if it believes the carrier's reconciliation of the amounts advanced and recouped is incorrectly computed. If a review is requested, the carrier must provide a written explanation of the adjustments.

(4) The review and explanation described in paragraph (i)(3) of this section is separate from a supplier's right to appeal the amount and computation of benefits paid on the claim, as provided at part 405, subpart H of this chapter. The carrier's reconciliation of amounts advanced and recouped is not an initial determination as defined at § 405.803 of this chapter, and any written explanation of a reconciliation is not subject to further administrative review.

(j) Advanced payments in exceptional circumstances. CMS may approve, in writing to the contractor, the making of advance payments during the period of a Public Health Emergency, as defined in § 400.200 of this chapter, or during the period under a Presidential Disaster Declaration, under the following exceptional conditions:

(1) The contractor is unable to process the claim timely, or is at risk of being untimely in processing the claim; or

(2) When the supplier has experienced a temporary delay in preparing and submitting bills to the contractor beyond its normal billing cycle.

[61 FR 49275, Sept. 19, 1996, as amended at 85 FR 19289, Apr. 6, 2020]