[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