Do Not Forward (DNF) Initiative

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Program Memorandum (Transmittal B-02-023) on April 12, 2002, with regard to the Do Not Forward (DNF) Initiative.

In response to this program memorandum, both checks and remittance notices are being sent to the suppliers Special Payment address in a Return Service Requested envelope. Therefore, all suppliers receiving payments via electronic funds transfer (EFT) are affected.

Standard #2 states suppliers must notify the NPE West of any changes to the information provided on the CMS 855S within 30 days of the change. If you have moved and have not notified the NPE West, be sure to submit a change of information immediately.

When an item is sent to a supplier's Special Payment address in an envelope marked Return Service Requested, meaning Do Not Forward, the US Postal Service will return it to the Billing Jurisdiction where it originated, if the supplier is no longer at that location. This happens with checks and to remittance notices that are mailed to all suppliers who receive payment electronically.

Here is the DNF process:

The Jurisdiction, upon receiving a Return Service Requested envelope,

• Places a DNF code on the file
• Suspends payments
• Notifies the NPE West the 'Special Payment' address is not correct for the specific supplier number

The NPE West   

• Places a DNF code in its system
• Transmits the code to all Jurisdictions/Regions so all payments are suspended for the specific supplier number
• Attempts to contact the supplier by phone or letter

The Supplier must verify its address in writing. This means sending in a CMS 855S form to either verify its address if there was no change and the mail was returned to the Jurisdiction/Region in error, or to update its supplier file with the new address.

Suppliers are required to verify in writing their physical location, correspondence and special payment addresses. Therefore, suppliers submitting a change of information due to a DNF should complete sections 2A, 4B and 4D in addition to the sections required for all changes.

Please review the Change of Information Guide for instructions on how to update all addresses listed on the supplier file.

The NPE West, after receiving the Change of Information:

• Processes the change
• Removes the DNF code
• Transmits the code removal to all Billing Jurisdictions

If the supplier cannot be reached or fails to respond to the letter sent by the NPE West within 45 days, the supplier number will be deactivated. The supplier will then have to go through the full reactivation process, including remitting the enrollment fee for the calendar year. To avoid this scenario, send your changes of information within 30 days as required by Supplier Standard #2.