UG-BDRG-001 Issue 2-April, 2005

There are times when the dispute process takes longer than 60 days and the disputed claim appears on the next month bill. In these cases, the carrier should not submit a duplicate dispute form. Because billing disputes are tracked, submitting a duplicate form may slow down the resolution of the dispute. If a charge appears on a bill that is being disputed, the carrier can either choose to pay or defer paying the charge. If BellSouth determines that a full adjustment will be applied to the dispute, then a credit for the amount of the dispute plus any late charges will appear on the carrier's next bill. If BellSouth determines that a partial adjustment will be applied, then a credit will be applied to the carrier's next bill, and the carrier will be responsible for the late charges. If BellSouth denies the dispute, the carrier will see no credit on their bill and they will be responsible for paying the charge and any late charges that have been applied to the bill.