[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70115-70116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24388]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS Computer Match No. 2016-15; HHS Computer Match No. 1609]
Privacy Act of 1974
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
ACTION: Notice of Computer Matching Program.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended, this notice announces the establishment of a Computer
Matching Program that CMS plans to conduct with the Peace Corps (PC).
DATES: Effective Dates: Comments are invited on all portions of this
notice. Public comments are due within 30 days after publication. The
matching program will become effective no sooner than 40 days after the
report of the matching program is sent to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) and Congress, or 30 days after publication in the Federal
Register, whichever is later.
ADDRESSES: The public should send comments to: CMS Privacy Act Officer,
Division of Security, Privacy Policy & Governance, Information Security
& Privacy Group, Office of Enterprise Information, CMS, Room N l-24-08,
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. Comments
received will be available for review at this location, by appointment,
during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.-
3:00 p.m., Eastern Time zone.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lindsey Murtagh, Center for Consumer
Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Phone: (301) 492-4106, E-Mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection
Act of 1988 (Public Law (Pub. L.) 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5
U.S.C. 552a) by describing the manner in which computer matching
involving Federal agencies could be performed and adding certain
protections for individuals applying for and receiving Federal
benefits. Section 7201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990
(Pub. L. 101-508) further amended the Privacy Act regarding protections
for such individuals. The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of
computer matching by Federal agencies when records in a system of
records are matched with other Federal, state, or local government
records. It requires Federal agencies involved in a CMP to:
1. Negotiate written agreements with the other agencies
participating in the matching programs;
2. Obtain the Data Integrity Board approval of the match
agreements;
3. Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress and
OMB;
4. Notify applicants and beneficiaries that the records are subject
to matching; and,
5. Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating,
or denying an individual's benefits or payments.
This matching program meets the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended.
Walter Stone,
CMS Privacy Act Officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS Computer Match No. 2016-15
HHS Computer Match No.1609
Name
Computer Matching Agreement between the Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Peace
Corps for the ``Verification of Eligibility for Minimum Essential
Coverage Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Through a
Peace Corps Health Benefits Plan.''
Security Classification
Unclassified.
Participating Agencies
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Peace Corps (PC).
Authority for Conducting Matching Program
Sections 1411 and 1413 of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the Health Care
and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152)
(collectively, the ACA) require the Secretary of HHS to establish a
program for applying for and determining eligibility for advance
payments of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions and
authorize use of secure, electronic interfaces and an on-line system
for the verification of eligibility.
The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (CMPPA)
(Public Law 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and
requires the parties participating in a matching program to execute a
written agreement specifying the terms and conditions under which the
matching will be conducted. CMS has determined that status verification
checks to be conducted through the CMS Data Services Hub (Hub) by
agencies administering insurance affordability programs using data
provided in bulk by PC through a security transfer data protocol to CMS
constitute a ``computer matching program'' as defined in the CMPPA.
Purpose(s) of the Matching Program
The purpose of the Computer Matching Agreement is to establish the
terms, conditions, safeguards, and procedures under which the Peace
Corps will provide records, information, or data to CMS for verifying
eligibility for Minimum Essential Coverage through a Peace Corps Health
Benefits Plan. The data will be used by CMS in its capacity as a
Federally-facilitated Exchange, and agencies administering insurance
affordability programs that will receive the results of verifications
using PC data obtained through the CMS Data Services Hub.
Data will be matched for the purpose of verifying an Applicant or
Enrollee's eligibility for PC Health Benefit Plans that constitute
minimum essential coverage as defined in Sec. 5000A(f) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 5000A, as amended by Sec. 1501 of the
ACA.
Description of Records To Be Used in the Matching Program
The Peace Corps maintains the following SORN to support this data
matching program: ``Peace Corps Manual Section 897, Attachment B, PC-17
Volunteer Applicant and Service Records System.'' Routine Use (i) is
used ``to verify active or former Volunteer service''--supports
disclosure to CMS.
CMS maintains the following SORN to support this data to support
this data matching program: ``Health Insurance Exchanges Program
(HIX)'', CMS System No. 09-70-0560, originally published at 78 FR 8538
(Feb. 6, 2013), and last amended at 78 Federal Register, 63211 (October
23, 2013).
[[Page 70116]]
Inclusive Dates of the Match
The CMP will become effective no sooner than 40 days after the
report of the matching program is sent to OMB, 30 days after a copy of
the matching agreement is transmitted to Congress, or 30 days after
publication in the Federal Register, whichever is later. The matching
program will continue for 18 months from the effective date and may be
extended for an additional 12 months thereafter, if certain conditions
are met.
[FR Doc. 2016-24388 Filed 10-7-16; 8:45 am]
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