CMS' RDS Center offers a variety of resources that provide comprehensive information to complete many program tasks. Before submitting a support request or sending an email, review the Top Plan Sponsor Questions, additional Common Questions, and the materials located in the RDS Program Website Resource Library, such as the RDS User Guide.
CMS' RDS Center Virtual Help Desk
CMS’ RDS Center’s official means of communication with the Plan Sponsor community is through email at RDS@cms.hhs.gov.
Registered Secure Website users may use the Support Request feature to receive guidance on frequently asked questions or to submit inquiries to the RDS Center. A response to your inquiry shall be provided within 24 business hours from when it was received by CMS’ RDS Center; support is not guaranteed the same business day. When an inquiry is sent to the RDS Center during weekends or holidays, a response shall be provided within 24 business hours from the start of the next business day following receipt of the inquiry.
All holidays on which the RDS Center is closed are published in the Events Calendar. The RDS Center does not maintain a Call Center for telephonic support. CMS’ RDS Center discontinued its Call Center in 2015.
Due to the sensitive nature of personal account information, if assistance is required regarding Secure Website account details, the user should contact the RDS Center directly. One individual should not contact the RDS Center on another individual’s behalf.
Submit a Support Request
Report an issue to CMS' RDS Center or ask a question by submitting a support request. To submit a support request, log into the RDS Secure Website and select "Request Support" in the navigation menu. For step-by-step instructions to submit a support request, refer to Submit or Reopen a Support Request in the RDS User Guide.
A response to your inquiry shall be provided within 24 business hours from when it was received by CMS’ RDS Center; support is not guaranteed the same business day. When an inquiry is sent to the RDS Center during weekends or holidays, a response shall be provided within 24 business hours from the start of the next business day following receipt of the inquiry.
Do not include any Protected Health Information (PHI), as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the support request, such as User ID, Password, MBI, SSN, DOB, etc.
Send an Email
CMS' RDS Center Email Address: RDS@cms.hhs.gov
If the inquiry is about a specific RDS application, please include the following information in an email:
- Your Name
- Your Email Address
- Your Phone Number
- Your Organization Name
- Plan Sponsor ID
- Application ID
A response to your inquiry shall be provided within 24 business hours from when it was received by CMS’ RDS Center; support is not guaranteed the same business day. When an inquiry is sent to the RDS Center during weekends or holidays, a response shall be provided within 24 business hours from the start of the next business day following receipt of the inquiry.
Do not include any Protected Health Information (PHI), as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the email, such as User ID, Password, MBI, SSN, DOB, etc.
Do not send emails with attachments larger than 25mb.
My RDS Email
The My RDS Email page displays the history of email sent to you by CMS’ RDS Center. This history includes any correspondence generated from January 2015 through the present day. Email history is account-specific; if you have had multiple user accounts throughout your experience with the RDS Program, the My RDS Email page only displays emails associated to your current active account.
For more information and step-by-step instructions, refer to My RDS Email in the RDS User Guide.
Obtaining Support for Upcoming Deadlines
CMS’ RDS Center strongly encourages all Plan Sponsors to complete your application submissions in advance of your Application Deadlines and Reconciliation Deadlines. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your applications!
CMS’ RDS Center operates in the Eastern Time Zone. As soon as an issue is identified, contact CMS’ RDS Center as soon as possible. A response to your inquiry shall be provided within 24 business hours from when it was received by CMS’ RDS Center; support is not guaranteed the same business day. When an inquiry is sent to the RDS Center during weekends or holidays, a response shall be provided within 24 business hours from the start of the next business day following receipt of the inquiry. Waiting until the last day of your deadline puts your subsidy at risk!
IMPORTANT: When a user account becomes locked after multiple failed login attempts for any reason—invalid Login ID, Password, or MFA code, or any combination of these—
- CMS’ RDS Center is prohibited by Federal Security Regulations to identify which login requirements were entered incorrectly.
- The user is now required to change their password.
- Passwords can be changed five (5) times in a 24-hour period.
- If a user changes their password the maximum five (5) times and then locks their account again on the same day, the user cannot change their password to unlock their account until 24 hours have passed.
Due to security reasons, the RDS Center does not have the authority to unlock accounts for Secure Website users. As a result, the 24 hours immediately preceding a deadline can be very difficult to obtain remediation regarding account login issues, potentially resulting in a missed deadline and possible loss of subsidy.
Send a Check to Satisfy an Overpayment
Mailing Address:
Retiree Drug Subsidy Center
6054
P.O. Box 7247
Philadelphia, PA 19170-0000
This address is for overpayment remittance only. No other correspondence received at this address will be considered.
Report a Change of Plan Sponsor EIN or Company Name
Refer to Report a Change of Plan Sponsor EIN or Company Name in the RDS User Guide for information about reporting a change of Plan Sponsor EIN or Company Name.
Set Up a Voluntary Data Sharing Agreement (VDSA)
Email Address: RDS@cms.hhs.gov
Report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse
Contact CMS' RDS Center to report fraud, waste, or abuse.
Ensure Receipt of RDS Correspondence
It is important that all RDS Secure Website participants take the necessary steps to ensure that all emails are appropriately received and not marked as "spam", moved to a hidden folder, or automatically deleted for any other reason.
Make the necessary adjustments to your email account or contact your network administrator to ensure that emails sent from the RDS@cms.hhs.gov email address are not moved, deleted, blocked by any spam filters, or Blocked Senders Lists.
Ensure Receipt of RDS Text (SMS) Message Notifications
If you provided a text-enabled device number for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), CMS’ RDS Center will use this number to send text (SMS) messages for user account management purposes, such as one-time tokens for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and notifications for the Forgot Login ID, Forgot Password, Change Password If Account Is Locked, and Enable Your User Account processes. Text (SMS) messages will be sent from the following telephone number: 1-855-758-0343.
Make the necessary adjustments to your text-enabled device to ensure this telephone number is not blocked. Refer to Text-Enabled Device in the RDS User Guide and the technical article Accessing Your RDS Secure Website User Account for more information.
IMPORTANT: This telephone number does not accept calls or text (SMS) messages. Please do not reply to text (SMS) messages received from CMS’ RDS Center.