(a) If the contractor hearing officer(s) finds jurisdiction (as described in §405.1814(a) of this subpart) and conducts a hearing, the contractor hearing officer(s) must promptly issue a written hearing decision.

(b) The contractor hearing decision must be based on the evidence from the contractor hearing (as described in §405.1823 of this subpart) and other evidence as may be included in the record (as described in §405.1827 of this subpart).

(c) The decision must include findings of fact and conclusions of law on jurisdictional issues (as described in §405.1814(c)(1) of this subpart) and on the merits of the provider's reimbursement claims, and include appropriate citations to the record evidence and to the applicable law, regulations, CMS Rulings, and other interpretive rules, general statements of policy, and rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice established by CMS.

(d) A copy of the decision must be mailed promptly to the contractor, to each party and to the appropriate component of CMS (which currently is the Center for Medicare Management).

(e) When the contractor's denial of the relief that the provider seeks before the contractor hearing officer(s) was based on procedural grounds (for example, the alleged failure of the provider to satisfy a time limit), or was based on the alleged failure to supply adequate documentation to support the provider's claim, and the contractor hearing officer(s) rule(s) that the basis of the contractor's denial is invalid, the contractor hearing officer(s) remands to the contractor for the contractor to make a determination on the merits of the provider's claim.

[73 FR 30248, May 23, 2008; 73 FR 49356, Aug. 21, 2008]