Last Known Address Policy Meeting - PowerPoint Presentation

Last Known Address Policy Meeting November 17, 2015 General Services Administration & United States Postal Service

AGENDA Address File Format Name and Address format Publication 28 Defining Different Classes of Mail Mail volume FCM; Permit Mailings Legal Restraints Current law Best Practices How the USPS can help

Standardized Delivery Address UT ANIMAL RESEARCH  Recipient Line 910 MADISON AVE STE 823 Delivery Address LineMEMPHIS TN 38103-3435 Last Line A standardized address is one that is fully spelled out, abbreviated by using the Postal Service standard abbreviations or as shown in the Postal Service ZIP+4 File. Recipient Line should only contain the name of your intended recipient. It should not contain any extraneous information.

Attention Line John Doe  Attention Line UT ANIMAL RESEARCH Recipient Line910 MADISON AVE STE 823 Delivery Address Line MEMPHIS TN 38103-3435  Last Line Attention line is placed above the recipient line, that is, above the name of the firm to which the mailpiece is directed.

It is recommended that delivery address information be stored in a minimum of 30 bytes or spaces in your computer system. The optimum recommendation is 64 bytes or spaces to be compatible with the Postal Service National ZIP+4 database.

Sample of Recommended File Layout Field Name/TypeField Length (max) Text format Only 1. Customer N a me 40 2 Firm/Comp an y or Bui l di n g Name (or fill w i th spaces) 40 3. Deli v e r y A d d ress 64 4. Urba n izati o n Name (or fill w ith spaces) 28 5. Ci t y 28 6. State 2 7. ZIP Code 5 8. ZIP+4 Code (Add- o n on l y) 4

If the input address is presented using an Abbreviated Alias format, CASS software must be able to match to the corresponding Base record and return the Abbreviated Alias format or the Base Record. 30 Character Abbreviation – Current Example Input: 1717 MILL RIVER GT BARR RD NEW MARLBOROUGH MA 01230 26 Characters Matches to: Base 1717 MILL RIVER GREAT BARRINGTON RD NEW MARLBOROUGH MA 01230 35 Characters Output: 1717 MILL RIVER GREAT BARRINGTON RD NEW MARLBOROUGH MA 01230-1762 1717 MILL RIVER GT BARR RD NEW MARLBOROUGH MA 01230-1762 Base Abbreviated Alias

Preferred Alias Input: 1200 N SHORE DR (Base) SAINT CLOUD FL 34771 Output: 1200 NORTH SHORE DR (Preferred) SAINT CLOUD FL 34771-9609 PREFERRED ALIAS BASE ZIP Code Pre Street Name Suffix Pre Street Name Suffix 34771 NORTH SHORE DR N SHORE DR City State File CASS software is required to return the Preferred Alias format regardless of the input address format. Base Record ZIP+4 File Address in Fully Standardized Format Alias Record Alternate Address Format Referenced In USPS City/State File

13 Character City Name – The Rule 13 Character Abbreviation Must Be Returned For Any Matched Address Upon Customer Request For CASS Cycle M Certification, Software Must Return 13 Character Abbreviation Where City Name Has 13 Character Abbreviation Production Software Not Required to Return 13 Character Abbreviated City Name Unless Requested By Customer

13 Character City Name - Current Example Current CASS policy allows the return of either a 13 character abbreviation or the fully spelled city name, consistent with existing City Name matching rules. Input: 7311 BLACK OAK LN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CA 95389 22 Characters Output:   7311 BLACK OAK LN YOSEMITE NTPK CA 95389-9102 7311 BLACK OAK LN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CA 95389-9102 13 Characters 22 Characters

Publication 28- Postal Addressing Standards http:// pe.usps.gov/text/pub28/welcome.htm

DEFINING DIFFERENT CLASSES OF MAIL Priority Mail Express : Anything mailable , letters, merchandise. Priority Mail: Anything mailable, bills, invoices, personal correspondence, merchandise.First-Class Mail: Anything mailable, bills, invoices, personal correspondence, merchandise.Periodicals: Newsletters, magazines; (formal authorization needed). Standard Mail: Advertisements, circulars, newsletters, small parcels, merchandise.Package Services and Standard Post: Merchandise, catalogs, printed material, computer media.

DEFINING DIFFERENT CLASSES OF MAIL 604 Postage Payment Methods and Refunds Metered Mail - Postage meters and PC Postage products are collectively identified as “postage evidencing systems.” Customers may use postage evidencing systems to affix or apply indicia on any class of mail except Periodicals and Bound Printed Matter and as follows: a. Metered indicia may not be used for First-Class Package Service commercial plus parcels.b. PC Postage products may be used for Standard Post only by USPS-Approved Shippers.Permit Mail - A mailer may be authorized to mail material without affixing postage when payment is made at the time of mailing from a permit imprint advance deposit account established with USPS. This payment method may be used for postage and extra service fees for Priority Mail Express (“eVS” only), Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, First-Class Package Service, Standard Mail, Package Services, and Parcel Select mailpieces. PreCanceled Stamps - Precanceled postage is an optional postage payment method for mailings at Presorted and automation First-Class Mail prices and at all Standard Mail prices. Precanceling is the cancellation of adhesive postage, stamped envelopes, or stamped cards before mailing. Precanceling may be done by the mailer under a postal permit, or mailers may purchase precanceled stamps bearing a price category from the USPS.

LE G AL RESTRAINTSCURRENT LAWUPDATING IN R E AL TIME N O T I FIC A T I O N T O RECIPIENTS/BENEFICIARIESENGAGING POLICY IN CONVERSATIONSDIFFERENTIATING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLICY AND LAW / MANDATESLAST KNOWN ADDRESS

L A S T KNOWN ADDRESSBEST PRACTICESUse o f USP S p r e- p r od u cti o n tools to identify undeliverable mailNCOACASSLACS/LINKUse of USPS post-production tools to identify cost saving opportunitiesPresortingIMB Requirement

Q U E S TION 1What are some of your challenges that you encounter?Updating addresses within the mailing list.Buy-in from programs to Implement Add r ess Hygiene Cleansing too l s in t h eir c ont r a cts.Having the beneficiary update their recordsMaintaining a valid, up-to-date address is a challenge. For certain cohorts of people, such as the those in Medicare, addresses are frequently not updated when the individual moves, as the reporting of change of address isn’t required in order to receive benefits for federal programs due to electronic processes. Of those who move and do not report a changed address, only some of them are identified by CMS and SSA based on returned mail of certain communications.AGENCY CHALLENGESCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Qu e stion 2What, if any, are some of your legal restra i nts (po l i c y) en c o u n t ering “LastKnown Address”?1. No legal restraints for mailing to Last Known Address. Have engaged policy to assist in changing policy.AGENCY CHALLENGES

AGENCY CHALLENGES The IRS has legal requirements to mail to a last known address.  This was covered in the presentation at the last meeting.  An address can’t be changed unless and clear and concise notification is provided by a taxpayer or other approved method.  The IRS is an NCOA Link licensee and updates addresses on a weekly basis.  A challenge that we face is that unless a change of address (COA) record passes a series of name matching routines the address will not be updated.  For that reason the IRS does not update addresses for every COA record received.  We do meet the current USPS measurement standards but that will change once the USPS implements Move Update Address Quality Assessment Fees sometime in 2016. 

AGENCY CHALLENGES My challenges are only with educating the personnel that send out the information to keep everyone current with Postal changes, such as bar coding changes.  We must schedule short informational classes with a department or with supervisors to keep everyone up-to-date .  Time is the challenge.  I have no issues with postage or addresses per se due to the fact that the senders has the addresses complete prior to my receiving the outgoing mail to be posted. What are some of the challenges you encounter? Several CIS application systems do not communicate with one another. Therefore, if the applicants new address is entered into one system/program is may not be corrected automatically with other CIS application systems. What, if any, are some of your legal restraints (policy) encountering Last Known Address?  All individuals that apply for USCIS benefits must report their address to CIS by completing the required change of address form on-line or send in a form AR-11.

Steps Necessary to Implement Change Assemble governmental intra-agency stakeholders Review current policy Legal Assessment Identify possible opportunities for improvement Define risks Maintaining status quo vs effective, efficient cost savings Statutory compliance Identify mechanism to promote improvement Law change / Federal Register / Mailroom policies Develop timeline Implement

Cynthia Patterson, Program Manager - 703-5890-2641 Cynthia.patterson@gsa.gov Charles Hunt, Address Management - 901-681-4651 charles.b.hunt@usps.gov Tina Dickens,Age nc y M ai l Manag e r - 41 0 -786-3895 Tin a .dickens@cms.hhs.govLynnette Maldonado, Agency Mail Mgmt Program Manager -  317-212-3937lynnette.a.maldonado.civ@mail.mil Thank You!