[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 148 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40079-40081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19441]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Matching Programs
AGENCY: Department of Veterans (VA).
ACTION: VA/SSA/IRS Match Program.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA),
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intends to renew the computer 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 July 28, 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
January 27, 1998.
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: July 25, 1996.
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 extract 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), 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
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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 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 date legislative authority to obtain
this information expires.
[FR Doc. 96-19441 Filed 7-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M