100-24 State Payment of Medicare Premiums: Chapter 6 - Problem Cases and Resources

Problem Cases and Resources
Chapter 6
Table of Contents
(Rev.4, 08-21-20)
Transmittals for Chapter 6
6.0 Introduction
6.1 Federal and State Components That Administer the State Buy-in Program
6.1.1 CMS Central Office (CO) Baltimore, MD
6.1.1.1 The Office of Financial Management (OFM)
6.1.1.2 The Office of Information Technology (OIT)
6.1.1.3 The Offices of Hearings and Inquiries (OHI)
6.1.1.4 The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS)
6.1.1.5 The Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO)
6.1.2 Social Security Administration (SSA) Field Office (FO) or District Office
(DO)
6.1.3 CMS Office of Program Operations and Local Engagement
(OPOLE)/CMCS Medicaid and CHIP Operations Group (MCOG)
6.1.4 Social Security Administration (SSA) Central Office (CO), Baltimore, MD
6.1.5 Social Security Administration (SSA) Program Service Centers (PSCs)
6.1.6 Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
6.1.7 The State Medicaid Agency
6.2 Problem Cases - General
6.3 Refund of Medicare Premiums to Individuals
6.4 Cases Involving Duplicate Billing
6.5 Correction of Demographic Data on the Third Party Master Record
6.6 Resolution of State Buy-in Problems Received by the SSA Field Office (FO) Using
Form CMS-1957
6.6.1 State Eligibility Office Verification Required
6.6.2 Local Eligibility Office Verification Required - State Verification Not
Required
6.7 Report of State Buy-in Problem Case by RRB (Form RL-380F)
Appendix 6.A SSO Report of State Buy-in Problem (Form CMS-1957)
Appendix 6.B RRB Report of State Buy-in Problem (Form RL-380F)

6.0 - Introduction
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
This chapter identifies key federal components that administer the state buy-in program,
as well as resources and procedures for states to address problems with buy-in for
specific individuals or transactions.
NOTE: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will only accept
electronic communications containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) that are
encrypted or sent through a secure data exchange.
6.1 - Federal and State Components That Administer the State Buy-in
Program
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
6.1.1 - CMS Central Office (CO) Baltimore, MD
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
6.1.1.1 - The Office of Financial Management (OFM)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
OFM, Accounting Management Group (AMG), Division of Premium Billing and
Collections (DPBC) has overall responsibility for the administration of the state buy-in
program including billing, collections, and general program policy.
States may submit inquiries by email to the DPBC resource mailbox at DPBCStateBuy-
in@cms.hhs.gov.
DPBC’s mailing address is:
CMS, OFM, AMG
Division of Premium Billing and Collections
Mailstop C3-18-08
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850
DPBC’s responsibilities include:
• 	Serving as a primary point of contact for general state buy-in policy and
operational related questions;
• 	Planning, developing, analyzing, and issuing operational policy and systems
business requirements to administer third party premium collection programs;
• 	Working closely with Social Security Administration (SSA) operational and policy
components, state Medicaid agencies, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), and
CMS Regional Offices (ROs); and
• 	Analyzing proposed and new legislation to determine their impact on the state

buy-in program.
6.1.1.2 - The Office of Information Technology (OIT)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
OIT, Enterprise Systems Solutions Group (ESSG), Division of Medicare Systems Support
(DMSS) has overall responsibility for the data processing of the state buy-in files.
States may submit inquiries by email to the OIT resource mailbox at
MepbsEDBSSstaff@cms.hhs.gov.
DMSS’ mailing address is:
CMS, OIT, ESSG
Division of Medicare Systems Support
Mailstop N3-17-07
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
DMSS’ responsibilities include:
• 	Serving as a primary point of contact for general Third Party System (TPS)
systems-related questions;
• 	Managing the daily and monthly operations of TPS;
• 	Coordinating the maintenance and analysis of TPS system operations with the
assistance of contractor support staff;
• 	Coordinating TPS, state Medicaid agency, and Third Party Formal Group daily
and monthly data exchanges; and
• 	Coordinating the distribution of TPS monthly billing statements and related data
and statistics.
6.1.1.3 - The Offices of Hearings and Inquiries (OHI)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
OHI, Medicare Ombudsman Group (MOG), Division of Medicare Systems Exceptions
and Inquiries (DMSEI) (formerly Division of Ombudsman Exceptions (DOE)) has overall
responsibility for the resolution of processing exceptions that states cannot correct
through the data exchange process. See section 6.2 for information on how to submit a
state buy-in problem resolution inquiry.
States may submit inquiries by email to the DMSEI resource mailbox at statebuy-
in@cms.hhs.gov.
DMSEI’s mailing address is:
CMS, OHI, MOG
Division of Medicare Systems Exceptions and Inquiries

State Buy-in
P.O. Box 11977
Baltimore, MD 21207
Contact the CMS buy-in analyst assigned to your region. Please restrict phone contact
to cases that need to be expedited (e.g., congressional and other urgent matters). Please
send an email to the DMSEI resource mailbox at statebuy-in@cms.hhs.gov to request a
copy of the current state contacts list.
6.1.1.4 - The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
CMCS, Children and Adults Health Programs Group (CAHPG), Division of Medicaid
Eligibility Policy (DMEP) has overall responsibility for Medicaid eligibility policy.
DMEP’s mailing address is:
CMS, CMCS, CAHPG
Division of Medicaid Eligibility Policy
Mailstop S2-01-16
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21244-1855
CMCS, Financial Management Group (FMG), Division of Financial Operations (DFO)
has overall responsibility for the offsets against the Medicaid Grant Award and the
Quarterly Expenditure Report for Medical Assistance Payments (Form CMS-64).
DFO’s mailing address is:
CMS, CMCS, FMG
Division of Financial Operations
Mailstop S3-13-15
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
6.1.1.5 - The Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
MMCO, Program Alignment Group (PAG), works to coordinate components within CMS
on issues affecting individuals dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
States interested in entering into a Part A buy-in agreement with CMS should contact the
MMCO resource mailbox at ModernizetheMSPs@cms.hhs.gov.

6.1.2 - Social Security Administration (SSA) Field Office (FO) or District
Office (DO)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The responsibilities of the SSA Field Office (FO) or District Office (DO) include
accepting Medicare applications, initiating buy-in for certain low-income beneficiaries,
and assisting beneficiaries and states agencies with buy-in problems.
The responsibilities of the parallel FO/DO, the lead SSA FO/DO servicing the state
Medicaid agency, include liaising with Medicaid buy-in operations personnel, providing
technical assistance to other SSA FOs/DOs within the state, and overseeing the
resolution of problem cases forwarded to servicing FOs/DOs.
6.1.3 - CMS Office of Program Operations and Local Engagement
(OPOLE)/CMCS Medicaid and CHIP Operations Group (MCOG)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
Responsibilities for the state buy-in program may reside with either the Medicare
(OPOLE) or Medicaid (CMCS/MCOG) component of the regional office. Each regional
office determines where the program can be most effectively administered and is
responsible for liaising with the states, assessing state buy-in operations, and
coordinating and implementing procedures within the region
(https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/CMS-Regional-Offices).
6.1.4 - Social Security Administration (SSA) Central Office (CO),
Baltimore, MD
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The responsibilities of the SSA CO include the establishment and maintenance of the
Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) and the Supplemental Security Income Record (SSR),
and the daily exchange of new and updated Medicare entitlement and buy-in data with
CMS. For more information about the exchange of buy-in data between CMS and SSA,
see chapter 2, section 2.3.
6.1.5 - Social Security Administration (SSA) Program Service Centers
(PSCs)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The SSA PSCs resolve problems pertaining to Medicare entitlement that impact state
buy-in and annotate the MBR for state buy-in transactions that generate errors in
automated systems and require manual processing.

6.1.6 - Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The RRB annotates its master eligibility file with state buy-in data processed by CMS for
RRB annuitants and assists with the resolution of problems pertaining to Medicare
entitlement that may impact state buy-in.
6.1.7 - The State Medicaid Agency
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The responsibilities of the state Medicaid agency include:
• 	Conducting Medicaid eligibility determinations and redeterminations;
• 	Establishing internal procedures and systems to identify individuals who are
eligible for state buy-in;
• 	Communicating these data to CMS;
• 	Responding to buy-in actions taken by CMS for beneficiaries;
• 	Making timely payments of Medicare premiums on behalf of state residents;
and
• 	Assisting the SSA FOs in resolving inquiries on behalf of individuals who are,
or may be, eligible for state buy-in.
6.2 - Problem Cases - General
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
If a state receives a processing error through the data exchange and the problem persists
after two attempts by the state to resolve it, the state should send a problem resolution
request to DMSEI via email, or, if expedited resolution is required, by phone. For
DMSEI’s contact information, see section 6.1.1.3.
Only individuals approved by their state Medicaid director may submit inquiries to or
communicate with DMSEI about buy-in records. DPBC maintains a list of approved
individuals; states may add additional individuals by sending documentation of the state
Medicaid director approval to DPBC. For DPBC’s contact information, see section
6.1.1.1.
CMS will take all necessary steps to investigate and resolve state problem resolution
requests, including working collaboratively with SSA to correct issues that require SSA
action to address.
DMSEI can assist states with:
• 	Corrections to Medicare Part A and Part B entitlements;
• 	Billing adjustments to correct duplicate billing and other beneficiary-level billing
items;
• 	Buy-in updates including accretions, deletions, and change record updates when
the state is unable to clear the exception;

• 	Technical assistance and guidance to states on submitting accurate buy-in
transactions;
• 	Identification and corrections of systems-related processing errors; and
• 	Other issues as they arise.
NOTE: CMS will only accept electronic communications containing PII that are
encrypted or sent through a secure data exchange. The following information is required
to identify and process a case:
• 	Beneficiary’s name;
• 	Beneficiary’s Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) or Medicare Beneficiary
Identifier (MBI);
• 	Beneficiary’s own SSN;
• 	Rejection code and alphabetic sub-code, if applicable;
• 	Relief and/or assistance requested; and
• 	Requestor’s name, title, organization, address, and telephone number.
To submit a buy-in problem resolution inquiry via email, follow the steps below:
1. 	Email the DMSEI resource mailbox at
statebuy-in@cms.hhs.gov.
2. 	Indicate “buy-in inquiry - <name of the state>” (e.g., buy-in inquiry -
Oregon), in the subject line. The name of the state should be spelled out;
please do not abbreviate.
3. 	Include the information indicated under NOTE above in the email cover.
Please allow 30 business days for processing.
If after 30 business days the problem/issue remains, submit a ‘follow-up inquiry’ to the
DMSEI division director.
To submit a “follow-up inquiry,” follow the steps below:
1. 	Email the DMSEI resource mailbox at statebuy-in@cms.hhs.gov.
2. 	Indicate “follow-up inquiry” and <name of the state> in the email subject
line. The name of the state should be spelled out; please do not
abbreviate.
3. 	Also include “DMSEI Director” in the subject line of the email.
4. 	Attach a copy of the original email inquiry.
6.3 - Refund of Medicare Premiums to Individuals
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
Once TPS accepts a state accretion request for an individual who is already enrolled in
Medicare, CMS will notify SSA to update its records to show the state as the responsible
party for premium billing (instead of the individual) effective with the buy-in start date.
The federal government generally stops billing the individual upon notification from

CMS. Individuals will receive a refund of any premiums deducted or paid for any month
they were enrolled in buy-in.
See SSA POMS HI 00815.039 at https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0600815039.
On rare occasions, federal systems may experience delays in updating SSA’s billing
record, resulting in the federal government simultaneously billing both the beneficiary
and the state for premiums after the buy-in effective date. States should refer these cases
to the DMSEI resource mailbox at statebuy-in@cms.hhs.gov. DMSEI can work with SSA
to resolve these issues.
SSA has access to CMS’ third party billing master record through the MBR Health
Insurance Query Response (HIQR). The HIQR provides current and prior state buy-in
coverage periods and the state agency code(s) for each period. If individuals claims they
did not receive a premium refund owed to them, SSA can verify the beneficiary’s buy-in
status on the HIQR, correct the beneficiary record in the MBR and issue outstanding
refunds to the individual.
6.4 - Cases Involving Duplicate Billing
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
A beneficiary should have only one active Medicare entitlement record, but beneficiaries
may have more than one record in rare instances (see chapter 4, section 4.6). If a state
detects this error in the billing file, it should not attempt to resolve it since CMS will
automatically consolidate the duplicate master records in the next billing month. If
automated processes do not resolve issue, CMS may need to take manual action. Submit
an inquiry regarding the duplicate billing records to the DMSEI resource mailbox at
statebuy-in@cms.hhs.gov. CMS has no time limit on accepting or granting state requests
for duplicate billing adjustments. When resolving duplicate billing cases requires
changing the individual’s Medicare entitlement data, CMS will refer the case to the
federal entity with jurisdiction over the individual’s Medicare entitlement record (i.e.,
SSA or RRB.)
6.5 - Correction of Demographic Data on the Third Party Master Record
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
All demographic data in TPS derives from the CMS Enrollment Database (EDB), which
originates from SSA. If the name or any other demographic information appears to be
incorrect, send a buy-in resolution request to DMSEI. Submit documentation to
substantiate a request for a name change or a change to any other demographic field.
When the correction requires adjustment of the individual’s Medicare entitlement status,
CMS will refer the case to the federal entity with jurisdiction over the individual’s
Medicare entitlement (i.e., SSA or RRB.)

6.6 - Resolution of State Buy-in Problems Received by the SSA Field
Office (FO) Using Form CMS-1957
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The SSO Report of State Buy-in Problem (Form CMS-1957) facilitates the resolution of
problem buy-in cases received by the FO. In most instances, the local FO will learn
about a problem through a beneficiary complaint. A sample of the form is in appendix
6.A.
Form CMS-1957 is designed to collect the information needed to resolve the problem
case. SSA will route the completed form to the state Medicaid agency, the local
eligibility office, or to DMSEI for resolution of the problem.
The FO completes Part 1 (Report of Problem by SSO) and Part 2 (SSI status at FO), if
applicable. The FO may need to contact the local eligibility office in order to complete
the identification block on the upper right hand side of the form. Subsequent processing
of the form will depend upon arrangements negotiated among SSA, CMS ROs, and each
state, including whether the local eligibility office or the state Medicaid agency will
verify the beneficiary’s buy-in status.
6.6.1 - State Eligibility Office Verification Required
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The state takes the following actions when it receives Form CMS-1957:
• 	Completes Part 3 (Report of Buy-in Status by Welfare Department) or reviews
Part 3 for accuracy if the parties arranged for the FO to complete this section
from information obtained from the local eligibility office;
• 	Reviews the accuracy of the information in the identification block on the upper
right hand side of the form;
• 	Completes Part 4 (Information from State’s records and/or actions being taken by
State) based upon information contained in the state's records and the latest
billing record received from CMS; and
• 	Signs, dates, and returns the completed form to the parallel FO.
If the state receives an inquiry on an item that requires an adjustment of the accretion or
deletion date, for example, the state may explain the problem in Part 4 and request a
correction or adjustment.
The parallel FO will forward Form CMS-1957 to DMSEI for necessary action.
6.6.2 - Local Eligibility Office Verification Required - State Verification
Not Required
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
The FO contacts the local eligibility office for assistance in completing the following

items on
Form CMS-1957:
• 	The identification block in the upper right hand side of the form; and
• 	Part 3 (Report of Buy-in Status by Welfare Department).
Please leave Part 4 blank.
If Part 3 shows that the beneficiary currently or previously had state buy-in coverage, the
FO will route the Form CMS-1957 to DMSEI for resolution.
6.7 - Report of State Buy-in Problem Case by RRB (Form RL-380F)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)
States have the responsibility to submit buy-in transactions to CMS for RRB beneficiaries
who are enrolled in buy-in. On occasion, the RRB receives complaints from Medicare
beneficiaries (through its system of field offices), claiming that they are paying the Part B
Medicare premium through deductions from their RRB annuity even though they are
enrolled in Part B buy-in.
The RRB Report of State Buy-in Problem (Form RL-380F) helps to facilitate direct
communication between the RRB and the state Medicaid agencies to resolve state buy-in
problems for RRB Medicare beneficiaries. A sample of the form is included in appendix
6.B. The RRB will neither begin nor terminate Medicare premium deductions from the
beneficiary's benefit check unless the state’s response shows that the state is liable for
the Medicare premiums and the RRB can locate the record on TPS.
The Form RL-380-F provides state Medicaid agencies the individual’s correct identifying
information (from RRB’s Medicare Information Recorded, Transmitted, Edited, and
Logged (MIRTEL) Online Inquiry (MOLI)) for the state to investigate the case. When the
state Medicaid agency or local eligibility office receives the Form RL-380-F, it should:
• 	Use the identifying information to investigate and verify the individual’s buy-in
status;
• 	Verify the beneficiary data, correct any errors and reprocess the record; and
• 	Advise RRB of the appropriate buy-in action.
If the local RRB field office cannot resolve an issue regarding the beneficiary’s Medicare
entitlement, the state may contact the RRB in Chicago at (877) 772-5772 or (312) 751-
3376.

Appendix 6.A - SSO Report of State Buy-in Problem (Form CMS-1957)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)

Appendix 6.B - RRB Report of State Buy-in Problem (Form RL-380F)
(Rev. 4, Issued: 08-21-20, Effective: 09-08-20, Implementation: 09-08-20)

Transmittals Issued for this Chapter
Rev # 	Issue Date 	Subject 	Impl Date CR#
R4SPMP 08/21/2020 	New State Payment of Medicare Premiums,
(SPMP)
09/08/2020 N/A