(a) After September 1981, a precedent final opinion or order or a statement of policy or interpretation that has not been published in the Federal Register as a part of a regulation or of a notice implementing regulations, but which has been adopted by CMS as having precedent, may be published in the Federal Register as a CMS Ruling and will be made available in the publication entitled CMS Rulings.

(b) Precedent final opinions and orders and statements of policy and interpretation that were adopted by CMS before October, 1981, and that have not been published in the Federal Register are available in CMS Rulings.

(c) CMS Rulings are published under the authority of the Administrator, CMS. They are binding on all CMS components, on all HHS components that adjudicate matters under the jurisdiction of CMS, and on the Social Security Administration to the extent that components of the Social Security Administration adjudicate matters under the jurisdiction of CMS.