National Verifier June 2018 Launch

Service providers in Colorado, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming must use the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of all Lifeline applicants before enrolling them in the program. Service providers will only be able to enroll applicants in NLAD if they have an active and approved eligibility decision from the National Verifier.

Consumers in the initial launch states who wish to apply for Lifeline through the National Verifier can use the consumer portal or submit a paper application directly to the Lifeline Support Center.

NLAD Legacy Mode

Service providers must now use the National Verifier for all transactions. Service providers can no longer use the toggle feature to switch between NLAD’s legacy (non-National Verifier) and National Verifier modes for SACs in initial launch states.

Service providers will continue to see the toggle if they use NLAD via its website, but they will not be able to switch between “On” and “Off.” The toggle in these states will remain “On.”

 

API users in initial launch states must use the full (hard) launch NLAD National Verifier API request. If a service provider sends an API request that does not include the National Verifier indicator, they will receive an error.

Users can find all the information needed in the API Specifications currently available in NLAD.

General Reverification

USAC has modified the reverification process for the June 2018 launch. USAC will conduct additional outreach to consumers that have unresolved errors as shown in the Reverification Subscriber Status Report to ensure that all consumers in the June 2018 launch have been given a chance to prove continued eligibility. USAC will alert service providers when this process begins.

Consumers will have 60 days to respond to USAC’s letter with documentation. Since USAC is seeking additional documentation from subscribers, USAC has opened an additional 75-day window for service providers to submit any on hand documents they have not previously submitted that may resolve open failures, as well as any documents service providers continue to receive from consumers. This window will close on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. USAC does not recommend service providers conduct additional outreach to subscribers at this time. Any new document requests made of subscribers by service providers is likely to result in confusion given that USAC will be conducting outreach. However, service providers may wish to alert any subscribers that have not yet passed reverification that USAC may be reaching out.

Service providers should submit any additional reverification documentation for consumers in the June 2018 launch through the normal reverification channels (the secure web page or by mail).

• Upload in batches using secure webpage (preferred method): Prepare a single PDF document per subscriber, and use the subscriber’s application ID (as shown in the report) and last name as the file name (for example, ApplicationID_lastname.pdf). Combine the batch of subscriber PDFs into a single .zip file, with the file name: nv_reverification_companyname_MMDDYYYY_HHMMSS.zip. Use your SAC name as the company name. Use a 24-hour clock in ET for the hours, minutes, and seconds. Upload the completed reverification .zip files to the USAC secure webpage using the login credentials provided. Drop the .zip file in the center of the webpage or upload it using the “Upload” icon on the screen. A copy of the secure webpage document upload process can be found here.

• Mail paper documents: Use the cover sheet below or one similar to it to create separation between each subscriber’s documentation (do not staple or paper clip).
  • Reverification Cover Sheet
  • Reverification Cover Sheet (Spanish) 

  A cover sheet is required any time you are mailing subscriber documents for reverification. Both fields, “Application ID” and “Last Name” must be included. Mail the items to:

  USAC Lifeline Support Center
  PO Box 9100
  Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773
  

Once the additional documentation USAC receives from consumers is processed, USAC will de-enroll ineligible consumers. USAC will notify service providers by bulletin once reverification de-enrollments are complete. At the conclusion of the process, service providers can find specific information about which consumers failed reverification through the Subscriber Reverification De-Enroll report in NLAD.

Consumers are separated into four groups, based on their Lifeline enrollment date (NLAD “ENROLLMENT DATE”).

• Group 1: Recent enrollees; service providers may use existing (on hand) eligibility, certification, AMS, TPIV, Deceased, and IEH documentation to resolve failures. Once initial reviews are complete, USAC will notify service providers that they must begin outreach to resolve remaining failures.
• Groups 2 & 3: Service providers may use existing (on hand) AMS, TPIV, Deceased, and IEH documentation to resolve failures, but must conduct outreach for new eligibility and certification documentation.
• Group 4: Consumers enrolled through the legacy NLAD process during the soft launch period; service providers may use existing (on hand) eligibility, certification, AMS, TPIV, Deceased, and IEH documentation to resolve failures. Once initial reviews are complete, USAC will notify service providers that they must begin outreach to resolve remaining failures.

Recertification

For information specific to recertification, view the National Verifier Recertification slide deck.

Training and Support

To review training sessions specific to the National Verifier, visit the Webinars page.