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EEOICPA BULLETIN NO. 06-01
Issue Date:
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Effective Date:
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Expiration Date:
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Subject: Issuing multiple payments to the same payee in ECMS E.
Background: Under Part E, claimants can receive compensation from three possible areas: lump sum compensation (specifically awarded to a survivor if the employee’s covered illness was a significant factor in aggravating, causing, or contributing to the employee’s death); wage loss; and impairment. On
Cases may require multiple decisions to address the different types of compensation awarded under Part E. Multiple decisions may require issuance of multiple payments to the same payee. Until now, ECMS did not have the capability to allow the district offices to issue multiple payments to the same payee. All cases in which more than one monetary award was made under Part E had to be processed in the National Office. With the latest release of ECMS, the district offices will now have the capabilities to create, certify, verify, and authorize multiple payments to the same payee in ECMS E. While the payment processing procedures are virtually unchanged, there have been some modifications to ECMS E. This bulletin provides written guidance on the procedures that are to be followed regarding issuing multiple payments to the same payee in ECMS E. Only some ECMS screens have changed slightly, which this bulletin addresses. Previous guidance regarding the EN-20, payment transaction forms, verifying account information, etc. still stands.
Reference: ECMS Release Notes (October 2005), EEOICPA Bulletin No. 02-13
Purpose: To provide ECMS procedures for processing cases in which multiple payments are issued to the same claimant.
Applicability: All Staff
Actions:
1. When the Final Adjudication Branch (FAB) issues a final decision awarding compensation under Part E, the FAB Claims Examiner (CE) or Hearing Representative (HR) must complete the Acceptance of Payment (AOP) information on the payee screen in ECMS E. The AOP information consists of the AOP sent date, which is the date the EN-20 is sent out, and the AOP allocation amounts. The AOP allocation amounts coincide with the final decision that is being issued. These amounts include lump sum compensation, wage loss, and impairment. The default amount for these blank fields is $0.00. Therefore, if no decision is made or benefits are denied in one of the three areas in that decision, no input is needed for that field. How the AOP information is access has changed slightly and is outlined below.
2. To add new AOP information for a payee, the FAB CE/HR must go to the payee screen in ECMS E, click on any field in the AOP section, and click “Insert.” This will access the AOP information screen where the FAB CE/HR has access to the AOP sent date and allocation amounts (impairment, wage loss, and lump sum). The FAB CE/HR accurately completes these fields to coincide with the final decision. Once the allocation amounts are entered, ECMS automatically totals the allocations and populates the (total) AOP amount. The AOP amount cannot exceed $250,000 in ECMS E. The AOP amount field should match the amount on the EN-20, which reflects the total amount awarded under that particular final decision. For example, a final decision awards a widow $125,000 because the employee’s lung cancer was a significant factor in aggravating, causing, or contributing to the employee’s death. She also receives $25,000 for his wage loss under the same decision. The EN-20 would reflect a payment amount of $150,00o0. The AOP screen would show “$125,000.00” in the lump sum compensation field, “$25,000.00” in the wage loss field, and no amount paid in the impairment field. ECMS will total the amounts in the allocation fields and show “$150,000.00” in the AOP amount field, which is the same amount on the EN-20.
3. If subsequent decisions are issued awarding compensation, such as additional wage loss, a new AOP record will be created following the process discussed above. This will create a new/separate AOP record that reflects the corresponding final decision. All of the AOP records are retained and accessible by accessing the payee screen in ECMS, highlighting the associated AOP record and pressing enter, or double-clicking. While the AOP amount on each individual screen AOP shows the total amount on that particular payment/decision, the system will total all of the AOP amounts on the various AOP screens to ensure their totals do not exceed $250,000. ECMS will not allow input of AOP amounts in ECMS E that exceed $250,000.
4. When the completed EN-20 is received in the district office, it is routed to the CE if payment is to be made via paper check or routed to the payee change assistant (PCA) if payment is to be made via electronic funds transfer (EFT). The routing process has not changed. However, the payee screen, utilized by both has changed. The EFT and address information have been put onto two separate tabs. For an EFT, the PCA accesses the EFT tab on the payee screen to enter the EFT data. The EFT information includes the bank name, bank address, routing number, account number , account name, account type, contact name, and contact phone number. The account number, routing number, account name, and account type is verified with the bank whenever possible and documented in the case file.
5. When the CE receives the EN-20 for processing, he/she must first enter the AOP received date. As previously mentioned, the AOP information section has changed. It is now on a table at the bottom of the payee screen. Various AOP records can be viewed/accessed from the table. To input the AOP received date, the CE accesses the payee screen in ECMS, highlighting the associated AOP record, which will have a blank AOP received date, and pressing enter or double-clicking. This will access the AOP information. The CE can only add/edit the AOP received date. He/she cannot add/edit the AOP sent date or AOP amount. He/she inputs the date the EN-20 was date-stamped as received in the office. Once the CE saves the AOP received date, he/she closes out of the case in ECMS.
6. The CE completes the Payment Transaction Form (PTF) in line with current procedures.
7. After the AOP received date has been entered and the PTF has been accurately completed, the CE is ready to create the compensation transaction in ECMS E. The CE selects “Compensation” from the main menu at the top of the screen, followed by “Create Compensation Transaction” from the corresponding drop down menu. The CE then enters the employee and payee SSN and pushes the “Search” button. The employee and payee information should populate the “Add Payment Transaction” screen.
8. At the bottom of the compensation creation screen, the AOP sent and received dates will be viewable for any payment that is waiting to be created. The CE highlights the associated AOP record and selects “Create Payment.” If a previously voided payment that is eligible for re-issue exists (e.g. check was never received, EFT rejected because of an erroneous routing number), the “Create Payment” button will change to a “Re-issue Payment” button that can be selected, when the corresponding AOP record is highlighted. As always, if information needs corrected on the payee screen, such as routing number or street address, the PCA needs to complete this prior to the payment being re-issued.
9. When the “Create Payment” (or “Re-issue Payment”) button is pressed, the system will force the CE to confirm the allocation amounts by entering the amounts for impairment, wage loss, and lump sum and pressing “OK.” If the allocation amounts do not match the amounts entered by the FAB CE/HR, an error message will appear stating “The allocation amounts entered do not match the AOP allocation.” If this occurs, the CE checks the amounts he/she is entering for accuracy. If it is determined to be a FAB error, the case file is returned to the FAB so the allocation amounts can be corrected. A transfer sheet is created that contains a note explaining the needed AOP allocation correction. Correction of this information by the FAB CE/HR is to be considered a priority task. ECMS allows the FAB CE/HR to change the allocation amounts in the impairment, wage loss, and lump sum fields at any time prior to the creation of the associated payment. After the payment has been created, the FAB CE/HR has the ability to redistribute the allocation amounts, as long as the total AOP amount for the associated payment does not change. After the requested corrections are made, the case file is immediately transferred back to the district office CE to complete the payment.
10. If no errors occur and the AOP allocation amounts are input, this takes the CE to the compensation screen, which is unchanged. The process is also unchanged. The CE enters the routing number, account number, account type, and payment amount for an EFT on the compensation screen and “Saves” the record. For a paper check, the CE enters the payment amount and changes the address (if the check is going to a payment only address) on the compensation screen and “Saves” the record. The CE then completes the appropriate portion of the certification section on the PTF and forwards the case file to the “certifier”, which is a senior or supervisory claims examiner.
11. The process of certifying, verifying and authorizing payments for the Senior/Supervisory CEs, Fiscal Officers and District Directors, respectively has remained unchanged.
Disposition: Retain until incorporated in the Federal (EEOICPA)
Procedure Manual.
PETER M. TURCIC
Director, Division of Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation
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