File ACP Reimbursement Claims

Important News: Starting February 1, 2024, providers have a two-month window to submit original claims or upward revisions. Providers have until the 1st of the second month after the snapshot date to submit claims. For example, for the February 2024 data month (March 1 snapshot), providers must certify their claims by May 1, 2024.There is no time restriction on downward revisions.

Note: On April 9, 2024, the FCC released a public notice announcing the maximum partial reimbursement amount for each benefit type for May 2024 (June Snapshot), which are listed below:

Benefit Type	Statutory Maximum	Maximum Reimbursement Range for May 2024
Non-Tribal Service Benefit	$30 per month	$14
Tribal Lands Service Benefit	$75 per month	$35
ACP Connected Device Benefit	$100 per device	$47

Providers are encouraged to make efforts to keep consumers connected.

If service providers decide to pass through benefits to ACP households in May 2024, they are not limited by the partial reimbursement amounts and can offer a discount larger than the maximum partial reimbursement. However, service providers will not be reimbursed beyond the maximum reimbursement figures announced by the FCC.

Providers must use the ACP Claims Process to file reimbursement claims for ACP subscribers. Service providers can access the claims process through the USAC One Portal.

On the first of the month, USAC takes a snapshot of all subscribers entered in the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD). Consumers who have not been entered in NLAD when the snapshot is taken are not eligible for reimbursement for the corresponding data month. Subscribers should only be claimed if they are receiving ACP service (e.g., subscribers who have enrolled but have not started receiving service are not eligible to be claimed).

Service providers have up to two months to submit original claims or upward revisions of previous claims. (There is no time restriction on downward revisions.)

• Beginning with the February 1, 2024, snapshot (January 2024 data month) and all future data months, service providers have up to two months to submit original claims or upward revisions of previous claims. For example, claims for the January 2024 data month must be submitted by April 1, 2024.
• The last fully funded month of the ACP is April 2024, meaning the April data month should be captured on the May 1, 2024, snapshot.

To complete ACP reimbursement claims, a service provider’s 497 Officer or 497 User* will follow the process below on or after the first of the month. For further context, download our Claims Input Template Sample and the Error Descriptions List.

1. Select the ACP File or Revise Claim in the Claims System and choose the correct data month and year. Select “Original” in the Filing type.
   • Download the list of subscribers eligible for reimbursement.
   • The list is a report in the ACP Claims Process based on the NLAD “Subscriber Snapshot” report.
2. Review the list of all subscribers available for reimbursement claims and modify the appropriate data on the list as needed.
   • Add the dollar amount claimed for each subscriber on the report (the system automatically defaults to the value from the prior month).
   • The support amount claimed cannot be more than the actual discount provided to the ACP subscriber in the relevant service month, and the ACP support must be fully passed through to the consumer in the form of a discount.
   • Add the dollar amount for the device claim (if appropriate). Service providers must subtract the household co-pay from the device claim.
   • Indicate which subscribers are not being claimed and why (using the appropriate reason code).
3. Upload the report back into the ACP Claims Process and review the information to ensure the system data matches your company data.
4. Set the claim as “ready to certify” and complete your contact information in case USAC has questions about the claim. Submit the claim.

Once the claim is ready to certify, the 497 Officer must:

1. Select ACP Certify Claim in the ACP Claims Process and select the correct data month and year. Confirm that the data uploaded is correct and ready to be certified. 497 Officers can review the claim using the “View” link in the Support Details column.
2. Select all the claims to be certified using the check box on the left-hand side of the screen. To certify all available claims, check “Select All”.
3. Review and sign the ACP certifications.
4. Select the blue button to certify claims. When the claims are successfully submitted, the 497 Officer will receive a green success message. Review to ensure the number of claims submitted matches the number the company planned to submit.

* Non-Lifeline ETCs participating in the ACP should email ACProgram@USAC.org to create a 497 User role. All other service providers can create this user role in E-file.