CMS Pub. 100-06, ch. 4, § 130

In coordination with the Internal Revenue Services’ Federal Payment Levy Program (FPLP), under Internal

Revenue Manual, Part 5, Chapter 11, Section 7, CMS receives automated Notice of Levy to

collect delinquent debts owed to the federal government. Automated FPLP interfaces with the Bureau of

Fiscal Services’ (BFS) Treasury Offset Program (TOP). CMS shall comply with automated FPLP

requests under 26 U.S.C. §6331(a);(h), which requires:

(1) A Levy shall extend only to property possessed and obligations existing at the time

thereof, in accordance to 26 USC §6331(b);

(2) Any Federal payment owed to the taxpayer shall be levied on a continuous basis, until

such levy is satisfied, as determined by the Secretary of Treasury; 26 USC §6331(h)(1)

(3) Any such levy shall be applied at the rate of 100% for any payment(s) due to a Medicare

provider or supplier under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. 26 USC §6331(h)(2)

For the purposes of operationalizing the CMS’s obligations under the FPLP, specifically in identifying “an

obligation existing at the time thereof” under 26 USC §6331(a) the Social Security Act, §

1816(c)(3)(A)&(B), and 1842(c)(3)(A)&(B:

(4) “No payment shall be issued, mailed, or otherwise transmitted with respect to any claim

submitted under this title within the applicable number of calendar days after the date

on which the claim is received.” SSA §1816(c)(3)(A)&(B); and

(5) “Applicable number of calendar days” means with respect to claims submitted

electronically as prescribed by the Secretary, 13 days, and with respect to claims

submitted otherwise, 28 days. SSA§ 1842(c)(3)(A)&(B)

The Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 1, Section 80.2.1.2, Payment Floor Standards,

describe the method of calculation of the applicable calendar days as described in SSA §1816(c)(3) &

§1842(c)(3). For the purpose of implementing this section, the Payment Floor Date, as described in

Chapter 1, Section 80.2.1.2, is the earliest day after receipt of the clean claim that payment may be made.

Any claims payment amounts owed to the provider of services, hospital, or supplier, which are held on the

payment floor, but have not yet reached the Payment Floor Date, regardless of date of

submission, shall be considered “obligation(s) existing at the time thereof” the IRS Levy is received by

CMS.

Under Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) 5.11.6.7.2, and in addition to automatic levies through FPLP,

payments to Medicare providers and suppliers may be general levies, also referred to as paper levies,

received on form 668a.

A. Medicare payment to providers and suppliers are subject to withhold due to receipt of a

general or paper tax levy on form 668a when:

1. A tax levy is served by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the Medicare

Administrative Contractor, or

2. In rare circumstances, received by the CMS.

• CMS as a responsible party shall promptly notify the appropriate MAC if a general or

paper levy is served to the CMS.

B. Once received, the contractor shall implement the general or paper tax levy to recoup funds

against current Medicare claims payments on behalf of the IRS.

C. Contractors shall be responsible to setup the paper levy as a Third-Party Payment (TPP) Debt.

1. Once a paper levy has been end-dated and sufficient paperwork is returned, it is possible for

the provider to receive a new levy for the same provider, with new dates.

2. It is also possible to have more than one paper levy served on a provider (not a duplicate) at the

same time.

• Contractors shall decline the additional 668a tax levy and return it to the IRS with

instruction to resend when the existing debt is finished collecting.

D. General or paper tax levies received on IRS form 668a are not continuous levies.

• If the provider or supplier for whom the paper levy is received is already subject to FPLP, the

paper levy is setup as a TPP and collected according to the HIGLAS hierarchy.

• Any provider claims received after the general or paper levy IRS FORM 668a has been served

shall not be added to the obligated amount due to the provider.

E. Contractors shall follow these steps for general or paper tax levies received on IRS form 668a:

1. The amount shall be held at 100% up to the total amount reflected on the IRS form 668a

general levy;

2. After the claims clear the payment floor, up to the amount of the levy, the amount shall be

transmitted to the Treasury Department as requested; however:

• If the amount due the provider on the day the levy was served, and

• The total amount due the provider for the claims on the floor is not

enough to cover the levy amount (once all the obligated claims clear the

floor, no later than the number of calendar days specified in the IRS

form 668a general levy).

3. The entire amount withheld shall be released to the Treasury Department.

F. Contractors shall have the number of calendar days specified in the IRS form

668a levy to collect funds from the date the third-party transaction is set up.

• Contractors shall add an inactive date to the third-party transaction when the

full amount is not collected in full within the required timeframe.

G. Contractors shall complete the back section on the IRS 668a form as requested by the

IRS.

1. Send back the form to the IRS, after the number of calendar days specified in

the IRS form 668a general levy and the total amount is collected.

2. Report the tax levies as a withholding on the Remittance Advice (RA).

H. Contractors shall setup the TPP offset form for non-tax FPLP withholdings

in the Medicare Provider Payment Offset process which are collected in the

hierarchical order below:

1. Medicare Accounts Receivable debt,

2. FPLP Offsets for Federal Tax debt at 100% maximum of the payable amount,

3. Administrative Offsets for Federal Non-Tax debt at 100% of the payable amount,

and

4. TPP

Refer to https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/federal-payment-

levy-program

for additional information on the Tax Levy Program.