Is there a limit on copies of checks provided to the agencies? Is
there a charge?
A.
There is no limit to the number
of requests. Agencies may incur costs for the requisite hardware and
software (see Equipment Requirements list). The main charge to the
user will be telephone line usage charges incurred while on-line,
receiving, or transmitting information. The only charge payable to
FMS will be for copies of checks that are older than 18 months
(following the date of issuance) which is also done in today's
environment. The current cost is $5.50. FMS is developing a cost
strategy for check copies in an imaging environment.
Q.
Can a FPA use PACER On-Line for selected claims (Congressional
Inquiries for example) and still utilize a batch process for the majority of their claims?
A.
Yes. A FPA can use PACER On-Line
for selected claims while continuing to use a batch process for the
rest.
Q.
Will the agencies receive hard copies of information relating to OPAC
on claims?
A.
No. OPAC will be received and
viewed via GOALS--OPAC as is done today. Microfiche will continue to
be sent to agencies.
Q.
Is the Agency Claim Number mandatory when creating a claim?
A.
No. Agency Claim Number is now
referred to as Agency Reference Number to be consistent with
CP&R terminology. It is optional when you are creating claims
on-line or in batch, but is required for paper SF-1184s.
Q.
Will the PACER On-Line system pass the claim back to the agency
sooner?
A.
Yes. If the check is
outstanding, turnaround time will be 48 to 72 hours.
Q.
How quickly will FPAs be able to provide status information?
A.
PACER On-Line will be able to
provide check and initial claim status information immediately.
Daily Advice of Status for check claims will be provided within 48
hours.
Q.
Will the agency get the check claim form?
A.
For agency claims ( A and F
stops) the check claim form will be mailed back to the agency. For
payee claims, the check claim form is mailed to the payee, unless
the agency has made arrangements with FMS to have it mailed to the
agency.
Q.
The reclamation process is time intensive. How long will it take to
recover the money under PACER On-Line?
A.
PACER On-Line will not
significantly shorten the reclamation process. Some efficiencies
will be gained, but the length of the recovery time is largely
beyond FMS's control. The recovery process is governed by the
financial institutions, not by PACER On-Line.
Q.
Does a second trace request have to be initiated by an agency or does
it occur automatically in PACER On-Line?
A.
The second trace is not
automatic. It must be requested by the FPA. Currently, EFT Claims
are not supported by POL.
Q.
How long will it take to process a trace on an EFT payment in the
PACER On-Line system? Traces currently take weeks.
A.
Financial institutions
govern the EFT trace process. PACER On-Line will process trace
requests promptly but cannot influence how long it will take the
Federal Reserve Bank or a financial institution to provide
status on the item. Currently, EFT Claims are not supported by
POL.
Q.
Can claims be on the same PC as GOALS?
A.
Yes. PACER On-Line and GOALS
can be accessed from the same PC.
Q.
How soon does the agency receive a credit after a returned check is
received by Treasury?
A.
The credit will be returned
to the agency in the next daily cycle, if there is no problem
matching a check to an issue record.
Q.
Will an agency still receive SF-3859s?
A.
Yes. SF-3859s are Claims Disposition
Notices (CDN) which are used in the Check Claim Adjudication
process. This process is not being changed by PACER
On-Line.
Q.
Will the payment cancellation information change under PACER On-Line?
A.
No. Detail cancellation will not change
under PACER. Information will be processed as it is
today.
Q.
Will SF-1081s be processed in the same format as today?
A.
Yes. This will remain a
TRACS process and will not change.
Q.
What effect does PACER On-Line have on TRACS data handling?
A
None. The processes will remain the
same.
Q.
When PACER On-Line is implemented, will the SF-1184 be obsolete?
A.
Not in the near future. FMS
is exploring the possibility of eliminating the SF-1184 at some
point in the future. FMS encourages agencies to take advantage
of the improved levels of service provided by PACER On-Line or
large file batch processing over the PCAct or the SF-1184
method.
Q.
Will all payments issued by FMS be available for claims initiation
through PACER On-Line or just the payments made after PACER On-Line began operations?
A.
Payments issued after the
implementation of PACER On-line will be available for on-line
claims initiation. Claims against payments issued prior to the
implementation of PACER On-Line will be handled as they are
today.
Q.
Will it be much faster to process claims in PACER On-Line?
A.
Yes. The part of the claim
process that PACER On-Line addresses will improve significantly. For
example, an agency will be able to determine check status
immediately. Currently, the SF-1184 process used in determining
check status may take from six to eight weeks. The time it takes to
submit a claim through the SF-1184 process and mail the claim form
to the agency or payee falls within the same time frame. PACER
On-Line will provide Daily Advice of Status on-line within 48 hours.
The claims form will be mailed to the agency or payee within 7
working days after the claim is submitted to PACER On-Line. In both
these cases, the level of service will improve significantly. In
some cases the amount of time will decreased from weeks to instant
check status and in others from 6 to 8 weeks to 48 hours for DAS,
and from 6 to 8 weeks to 7 days for the mailing of a claim form. For
agencies that take advantage of the Digital Check Imaging capability
of PACER On-Line, copies of checks will be available immediately if
the image is resident at FMS or within 24 hours if the image must be
requested from the Federal Reserve Archive. The current process for
agencies using the SF-1184 falls within the 6 to 8 week time
frame.
Q.
We have payees who do not receive their checks, so we issue them
another one. What happens when we generate a second check and the payee cashes both
checks? Who is liable? What do we do if the first check is paid?
A.
PACER On-Line will not
affect this process. It will be handled the same as it was
before PACER On-Line.
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