Any payment made under title XVIII of the Act to any provider of services or other person with respect to any item or service furnished an individual shall be regarded as a payment to the individual, and adjustment shall be made pursuant to §§ 405.352 through 405.358 where:

(a) More than the correct amount is paid to a provider of services or other person and the Secretary determines that:

(1) Within a reasonable period of time, the excess over the correct amount cannot be recouped from the provider of services or other person, or

(2) The provider of services or other person was without fault with respect to the payment of such excess over the correct amount, or

(b) A payment has been made under the provisions described in section 1814(e) of the Act, to a provider of services for items and services furnished the individual.

(c) For purposes of paragraph (a)(2) of this section, a provider of services or other person must, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, be deemed to be without fault if the determination of the carrier, the intermediary, or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that more than the correct amount was paid was made subsequent to the fifth year following the year in which notice was sent to such individual that such amount had been paid.

[41 FR 1492, Jan. 8, 1976. Redesignated at 42 FR 52826, Sept. 30, 1977, as amended at 61 FR 49271, Sept. 19, 1996; 78 FR 74810, Dec. 10, 2013]