DIRECTIVE	:	UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 28-97
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	GRACE A. KILBANE Director Unemployment Insurance Service
SUBJECT	:	Automation of the Statement of Benefits Paid to Combined Wage Claimants (Form IB-6).

1. Purpose: To notify the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) of plans to distribute the model code for the automated Statement of Benefits Paid to Combined Wage Claimants (Form IB-6).

2. Background: The processing and payment of a combined wage claim (CWC) involves wages from, and benefit costs to, more than one State. The exchange of data between States in the determination of a CWC claim starts with the telecommunicated Request for Transfer of Wages (TC-IB4), and ends with the Statement of Benefits Paid to Combined Wage Claimants (Form IB-6). The IB-6 is a request for reimbursement from the transferring State for benefits paid to claimants by the paying State.

   Lockheed Martin Integrated Business Solutions (LMIBS) has developed model code which is being used by the States for the electronic processing and telecommunication via the Interstate Connection (ICON) of IB-4 and IB-5 (Report on Determination of Combined Wage Claim) data. Automation of the Form IB-6 process completes the automation of the CWC program. To automate the Form IB-6 (billing and reimbursement), model code has been developed and is being tested that creates and telecommunicates (sends) the "bill" by the paying State and receives, processes, and produces reimbursement requests by the transferring State. This automated Form IB-6 procedure, once interfaced with the States operating system, will eliminate many errors and speed up the processing of reimbursements.

   In addition, implementation of the automated TC-IB6, which includes standard edits and controls, will eliminate many of the disagreements between SESAs over charges and will provide better records for audit and reporting purposes.

3. Distribution of Model Code: The TC-IB6 Model Code is now in the testing/pilot study phase of the effort. States participating in the pilot are Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Virginia. Plans are to distribute the model code Nationally during July 1997. Preliminary estimates are that it will take approximately 40 programmer staff hours to install the model code, write interface programs, and test the system in each SESA.

4. Action Required: SESAs are encouraged to install the model code and become operational using the new automated TC-IB6 system as soon as it is feasible for them to do so.

5. Inquiries: Direct inquiries to the appropriate Regional Office.