[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64097-64098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30137]



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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Matching Programs

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of renewal--VA/IRS Match Program.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs 
(VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), intends to renew the 
computer matching program comparing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and 
Social Security Administration (SSA) income records with VA patient 
income data which is contained in the patient medical records.
    The goal of these matches is to compare income, social security 
number, and employment status as reported to VHA with income records 
maintained by IRS and SSA. For the information of all concerned, a 
summary report of the VHA matching program describing the computer 
matches follows. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2), copies of the 
computer matching report are being sent to both houses of Congress. 
These matches are expected to commence on or about January 1, 1996, but 
start no sooner than 30 days after publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register or 40 days after copies of this notice and the 
agreement are submitted to Congress and the Office of Management and 
Budget whichever is later. These matches may be extended by the 
involved Data Integrity Boards for a twelve month period provided all 
agencies involved certify to the Data Integrity Boards, within three 
months of the termination date of the original match, that the matching 
program will be conducted without change and the matching programs have 
been conducted in compliance with the original matching agreements. The 
matches will not continue past the legislative authorized date to 
obtain this information. However, expiration of this agreement is June 
30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals may comment on the matches by writing 
to the Chief Administrative Officer (161D), Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20420.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice E. Wheeler (202) 273-6276, 
Program Analyst, Income Verification Match Policy Service.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Further information regarding the matching 
program is provided below. This information is required by Title 5 
U.S.C. 552a(e)(12), the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. A copy of this 
notice has been provided to both houses of Congress and the Office of 
Management and Budget.

    Approved: December 4, 1995.
Jesse Brown,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Report of Matching Program

Department of Veterans Affairs Patient Medical Records With Income 
Records Maintained by the Internal Revenue Service and the Social 
Security Administration

    a. Authority: Title 38 U.S.C. 5106 and 5317; Pub. L. 101-508 as 
amended by Pub. L. 102-568.
    b. Program Description:
    (1) Purpose: (a) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans 
Health Administration (VHA) plans to match the household income 
information contained in the medical records of certain nonservice-
connected veterans, with the income records for those persons 
maintained by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social 
Security Administration (SSA). Those nonservice-connected veterans 
subject to income verification matching are those veterans who are 
receiving VA medical care in a mandatory eligibility category due to a 
finding of low income subsequent to means testing.
    (b) Currently, information about a veterans household income (i.e., 
veterans and spouses receipt of wage, self-employment and other income 
as well as employment status, health insurance coverage and number of 
dependents) is obtained when the veteran makes application for medical 
care at a VA medical care facility. The household income and dependent 
data is evaluated in a ``means test'' which takes into account 
deductions of certain income not counted as such for Veterans Health 
Administration eligibility purposes. Once a net income for the veteran 
is established, it is applied against means test thresholds, or levels 
of income establishing mandatory or discretionary eligibility for 
medical care. If the veterans net income falls below the applicable 
means test threshold, he or she is eligible for mandatory care (i.e., 
no-cost care); however, if the net income falls over the applicable 
threshold, the veteran is given a discretionary eligibility. Veterans 
who are eligible for discretionary care are provided care if the VA 
medical facility has the resources to treat discretionary veterans, and 
if the veteran agrees to make a co-payment for such care. The proposed 
matching programs will enable VA to verify the accuracy of reported 
income and employment status and therefore more accurately determine 
eligibility for medical care.
    (2) Procedures: VA's Veterans Health Administration has established 
an Income Verification Match (IVM) Center. The IVM Center will 
electronically extra demographic and income data from each VA medical 
care facility's database on nonservice-connected veterans found 
eligible for mandatory care based solely on low income. The VHA IVM 
extract file will be matched against IRS and SSA income records. If a 
VHA record and SSA or IRS record match on social security number and 
name, the IVM Center will begin an extensive case development and 
verification process. This process will assure the validity of the 
matched cases by verifying the IRS/SSA reported income amount with the 
payer(s) and recipients of the income. Each veteran and/or spouse 
identified by the match will be contacted in order to notify the 
veteran and/or spouse of any income discrepancy identified by the 
match, to verify the discrepancy, and to advise him or her of potential 
changes to the veterans' medical care eligibility at the VA medical 
center, and the potential billing action for co-payments. Before any 
adverse action is taken, the individual(s) identified by the match will 
be given the opportunity to contest the findings. Where there are 
reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a violation of 
criminal laws, the matter will be referred for prosecution 
consideration in accordance with existing VA policies.
    c. Records to be Matched. The VA records involved in the match are 
patient medical records maintained in the ``Patient Medical Record-VA 
(24VA136)'' published at 40 FR 38095 (8/26/75) and amended at 40 FR 
52125 (11/7/75), 41 FR 2881 (1/20/76), 41 FR 11631 (3/19/76), 42 FR 
30557 (6/15/72), 

[[Page 64098]]
44 FR 31058 (5/30/79), 45 FR 77220 (11/21/80), 46 FR 2766 (1/12/81), 47 
FR 28522 (6/30/82), 47 FR 51841 (11/17/82), 50 FR 11610 (3/22/85), 51 
FR 25968 (7/17/86), 51 FR 44406 (12/9/86), 52 FR 381 (1/5/87), 53 FR 
49818 (12/13/90), 55 FR 5112 (2/13/90), 55 FR 37604 (9/12/90), 55 FR 
42534 (10/19/90), 56 FR 1054 (1/10/91), 57 FR 28003 (6/23/92), 57 FR 
4519 (10/1/92), 58 FR 29853 (5/24/93), 58 FR 40852 (7/30/93) and 58 FR 
57674 (10/26/93). The IRS records are from the Wage and Information 
Returns (IRP) Master File, Privacy Act system Treas/IRS 22.061. The SSA 
records are from the Earnings Recording and Self-Employment Income 
system, HHS/SSA/OSR 09-60-0059.
    d. Period of Match: The initial data exchanges are expected to 
begin 40 days after the matching agreements are signed by the Data 
Integrity Boards (DIB's) and Congressional Offices and OMB have been 
notified, and 30 days from the date of publication of notice in the 
Federal Register or 40 days from the date this notice is approved, 
whichever is later. These matches may be extended by the involved DIB's 
for a twelve month period provided the agencies participating in the 
match certify to the DIB's, within three months of the determination 
date of the original match, that the matching program will be conducted 
without change and the matching programs have been conducted in 
compliance with the original matching agreements. The matches will not 
continue past the date legislative authority to obtain this information 
expires.

[FR Doc. 95-30137 Filed 12/12/95 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M