(a) Basis for refund. Group payments are refunded only in the following circumstances:

(1) The premium was for a month after the month in which the enrollee's SMI coverage terminated or the enrollee died.

(2) The premium was for a month after the month in which the group payer gave notice (before the 26th day of that month) that the enrollee was no longer eligible for group payment and was being dropped from the group.

(b) Example. F is the wife of J who is a retiree of Corporation X. That corporation pays premiums on behalf of all of its retirees and their dependents. F obtains a divorce from J on October 20 and thus disqualifies herself for further premium payments by the corporation. The corporation gives notice on November 10 that a refund is due because F has been dropped from the list of persons for whom it has agreed to pay premiums. The premium paid for December would be refunded to the group payer.

(c) To whom refund is made.

(1) CMS ordinarily refunds to the group payer the premiums specified in paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) However, if CMS has information that clearly shows those premiums were paid from the enrollee's funds, it sends the refund to the enrollee.