Making Payments

Program Recoveries

There are several types of payments in the Support Mechanism/Program Recovery category, and each requires slightly different payment instructions.

Returned Funds

Funds that are disbursed by USAC in error must be returned to USAC.

For example, payments made by service providers who have conducted their own internal review and have found that disbursements issued to them by USAC should be returned to the fund.

For service provider/applicant payments, a Payment Identification Worksheet is needed to ensure payment application. Payments should be sent to USAC using the payment instructions on our website.

For these payments, USAC needs:

• Service Provider Identification Number(s) (SPINs)
• Funding Request Number (FRN)
• Form 471 Application ID Number (471#)
• Billed Entity Number (BEN)
• Amount
• Reason for Returning Funds

COMADs (Commitment Adjustments/Demand Letters)

For Rural Health Care and Schools and Libraries Programs.

During reviews of funding commitments (audits, appeals, whistleblower calls, etc), USAC may discover that funds were committed in error.

If a COMAD is necessary, USAC will provide both the applicant and the service provider with a Commitment Adjustment Letter containing a Funding Commitment Report that lists the Funding Request Number (FRN), FCC Form 471 Applicant Number, Billed Entity Number (BEN) and Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) affected by the COMAD.

For service provider/applicant payments, a Payment Identification (PID) Worksheet is needed to ensure payment application. Payments should be sent to USAC using the payment instructions on our website.

For these payments, USAC needs:

• A copy of the Commitment Adjustment Letter, or Demand Letter
• The funding commitment report from your Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL)

Negative Disbursement Payments

For invoices beginning "NGXX", where XX represents the support mechanism or program (e.g., NGHC is for the High Cost Program).

USAC creates invoices to recover funds from service providers when USAC conducts a true-up between a company's projected support amount and the actual support disbursed, or when a company revises its previous support claims. The invoices have a due date of the 15th (or the prior business day if the 15th is on a weekend or a holiday) of the following month.

Payments and the top portion of the invoice (remittance stub) should be sent to USAC using the payment instructions on our website.

If you need to keep the original invoice, please send USAC a copy. In the absence of the invoice remittance stub, USAC still needs to receive the Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) and invoice number for each payment to apply these funds correctly.