(a) Basis and scope—(1) Basis. Under the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966 (31 U.S.C. 3711), CMS is required to collect any debts due it but is authorized to suspend or terminate collection action on debts of less than $20,000 when certain conditions are met. (See 4 CFR, parts 101-105 for general rules implementing the Federal Claims Collection Act.) As indicated in § 408.4, unpaid premiums are debts owed the Federal government by the enrollee or the enrollee's estate.

(2) Scope. This section sets forth the methods of collection used by CMS and the circumstances under which CMS terminates or renews collection action. The regulations in this section apply to hospital insurance premiums as well as SMI premiums.

(b) Collection of unpaid premiums. Generally, CMS will attempt to collect unpaid premiums by one of the following methods:

(1) By billing enrollees who pay the premiums directly to CMS or to a designated agent in accordance with § 408.60.

(2) By deduction from any benefits payable to the enrollee or the estate of a deceased enrollee under Title II or XVIII of the Social Security Act, the Railroad Retirement Act or any act administered by the Office of Personnel Management in accordance with § 408.4(b) and Subpart C of this part (Deduction from Monthly Benefits); or

(3) By billing the estate of a deceased enrollee.

(c) Termination of collection action. CMS terminates collection action on unpaid premiums under either of the following circumstances, if the cost of collection exceeds the amount of overdue premiums:

(1) The individual is not entitled to benefits under the Acts listed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, is not currently enrolled for SMI or premium hospital insurance, and demonstrates, to CMS's satisfaction, that he or she is unable to pay the debt within a reasonable time.

(2) The individual has been dead more than 27 months (the maximum time allowed for claiming SMI benefits), and the legal representative of his or her estate demonstrates, to CMS's satisfaction, that the estate is unable to pay the debt within a reasonable time.

(d) Renewal of collection efforts. CMS renews collection efforts in either of the following circumstances, if the cost of collection does not exceed the amount of the overdue premiums:

(1) The individual enrolls again for premium hospital insurance or SMI. (Payment of overdue premiums is not a prerequisite for reenrollment.)

(2) The individual becomes entitled or reentitled to social security or railroad retirement benefits or a Federal civil service annuity.

If CMS has received premiums for months after the enrollee's death, CMS refunds those premiums as follows:

(a) To the person or persons who paid the premiums or, if the premiums were paid by the enrollee, to the representative of the enrollee's estate, if any.

(b) If refund cannot be made under paragraph (a) of this section, CMS refunds the premiums to the enrollee's survivors in the following order of priority:

(1) The surviving spouse, if he or she was either living in the same household with the deceased at the time of death, or was, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased beneficiary;

(2) The child or children who were, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one child, in equal parts to each child);

(3) The parent or parents who were, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one parent, in equal parts to each parent);

(4) The surviving spouse who was not living in the same household with the deceased at the time of death and was not, for the month of death, entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased beneficiary;

(5) The child or children who were not entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one child, in equal parts to each child);

(6) The parent or parents who were not entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits on the basis of the same earnings record as the deceased (and, if there is more than one parent, in equal parts to each parent).