Pay.Gov Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides answers to a number of questions agencies commonly ask about Pay.gov, its

services, the Application Fee and its relation to the Medicare Enrollment Form.

Q: Why do I have to pay a Medicare enrollment application fee?

A: Section 6401(a) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires the Secretary to impose a fee on each

“institutional provider of medical or other items or services and suppliers.” The fee is be used by the

Secretary to cover the cost of screening and to carry out screening and other program integrity

activities associated with provider enrollment processes, including those under section 1866(j) and

Medicare enrollment application using the CMS-855A, CMS-855B (except physician and non-

physician practitioner organizations), or CMS-855S or associated Internet-based PECOS enrollment

application.

Q: How much is the application fee?

A: Please consult the CMS webpage regarding Medicare Application Fee information

(

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-

Certification/MedicareProviderSupEnroll/MedicareApplicationFee.html) for the current Medicare

Application Fee amount. Based upon requirements set forth in Section 6401(a) of the ACA, this fee

will vary from year-to-year based on adjustments made pursuant to the Consumer Price Index for

1. Electronically using Internet-based PECOS – Go to https://pecos.cms.hhs.gov

to submit your

Medicare enrollment application. While completing your enrollment application using

Internet-based PECOS, you will be presented with an option to pay your Medicare

Application Fee before submitting your enrollment application and you will be directed to the

Medicare Application Fee pay.gov site. You can also select the “Pay Application Fee” link

on the Internet-based PECOS log in page. You may also pay the application fee through

Pay.gov by visiting (

www.pay.gov). (Also see section below entitled Pay.gov) Once you are

on Pay.gov, type “CMS” in the search box under “Find Forms, Agencies…” and click the

receipt be mailed to the Medicare contractor along with the Certification Statement for the

enrollment application. CMS will notify the Medicare contractor that the application fee has

been paid. The Medicare contractor will process the provider enrollment application in the

order in which it was received. Normal processing timeframes apply to your provider

enrollment application.

2. Complete the paper Medicare enrollment application (CMS-855) – Once you have completed

the CMS-855 paper application, you should promptly pay the application fee through

Pay.gov by visiting (

www.pay.gov). (See section below entitled Pay.gov for more

information.) Once you are on Pay.gov, type “CMS” in the search box under “Find Forms,

has been paid. The Medicare Contractor will process your provider enrollment application in

the order in which it was received. Normal processing timeframes apply to your provider

enrollment application.

Q: Are both my Medicare enrollment application and fee processed by the same agency?

A: No. Your Medicare application is processed by the Medicare contractor via the Provider

Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS). The application fee, paid electronically by

check, debit card, or credit card, is processed through Pay.gov.

Q: Who can I contact if I have problems submitting my application fee?

A: You should use the Help Tools available on the Pay.gov site for questions specific to the payment

processing. Other questions regarding payment policies and procedures may be sent to the Medicare

debit from your checking or savings account.

Q: I'm not comfortable with making payments online. Can I mail in my payment or pay over the

phone?

A: No. Do not mail application fee payments. Pay.gov cannot accept payments by mail or phone.

Please note that all fees must be paid via Pay.gov and that paper checks submitted outside of the

Pay.gov process will not be accepted.

Q: Is Pay.gov secure?

A: Yes. Pay.gov uses 128-bit SSL encryption to protect your transaction information while you're

logged in to Pay.gov. In addition, any account numbers you set up in your profile are encrypted

following business day.

Q: What are the accepted credit card types?

A: Pay.gov accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Q: How quickly is my credit card payment processed?

A: Credit card payments submitted by midnight Eastern Standard Time will settle in your account the

next business day.

Q: What is the payment processing schedule for Pay.gov?

A: The Pay.gov site is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (holidays included) for users to submit

payments, with the exception of a maintenance window every Sunday from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM

Eastern Standard Time. ACH payment processing follows the Federal Reserve holiday schedule;

* Saturday

A: Pay.gov transactions will usually appear with the description “CMS Medicare application fee.” If

you're not sure what a particular payment is, the first point of contact should be your financial

institution. They can help identify the payment history.

Q: What do I do if I entered the wrong amount?

A: CMS has pre-populated the field for the correct payment amount for the specific calendar year.