[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 161 (Friday, August 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50552-50553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21096]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration
Privacy Act of 1974; Report of Modified or Altered System
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Care
Financing Administration (HCFA).
[[Page 50553]]
ACTION: Report of Altered Systems of Records.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, we are proposing to modify or alter designated HCFA systems of
records specified in Appendix A. We are revising the language in global
fraud and abuse routine uses number one and two to correspond with
language used in other HCFA systems of records. We are also deleting
global fraud and abuse routine use number three relating to ``any
entity that makes payments for or oversees the administration of health
care services. * * *'' Notice of these revised global routine uses was
published in the Federal Register, Thursday, July 16, 1998 (63 FR
38414).
The primary purpose of revising the language in the two remaining
global fraud and abuse routine uses is to shorten the language, make
them easier to read, and provide clarity to HCFA intentions to disclose
individual-specific information for the purposes of combating fraud and
abuse to a HCFA contractor that assists in the administration of a
HCFA-administered health benefits program, to a grantee of a HCFA-
administered grant program, and to other federal agencies or to an
instrumentality of any governmental jurisdiction, that administers, or
that has the authority to investigate potential fraud or abuse in a
health benefits program funded in whole or in part by federal funds.
The revised routine uses will be added to the systems listed in
Appendix A at the earliest time that modification and republication of
these systems can occur. The routine uses will be numbered in the next
logical sequence for each system and will read as follows: (1) To a
HCFA contractor (including, but not necessarily limited to fiscal
intermediaries and carriers) that assists in the administration of a
HCFA-administered health benefits program, or to a grantee of a HCFA-
administered grant program, when disclosure is deemed reasonably
necessary by HCFA to prevent, deter, discover, detect, investigate,
examine, prosecute, sue with respect to, defend against, correct,
remedy, or otherwise combat fraud or abuse in such program; and, (2) to
another federal agency or to an instrumentality of any governmental
jurisdiction within or under the control of the United States
(including any state or local governmental agency), that administers,
or that has the authority to investigate potential fraud or abuse in, a
health benefits program funded in whole or in part by federal funds,
when disclosure is deemed reasonably necessary by HCFA to prevent,
deter, discover, detect, investigate, examine, prosecute, sue with
respect to, defend against, correct, remedy, or otherwise combat fraud
or abuse in such program, subjected to certain conditions. We have
provided background information about the altered system in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Although the Privacy Act
requires only that HCFA provide an opportunity for interested persons
to comment on the proposed routine uses, HCFA invites comments on all
portions of this notice. See Effective Dates section for comment
period.
EFFECTIVE DATES: HCFA filed a modified or altered system report with
the Chair of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight,
the Chair of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and the
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) on August 14, 2000. To ensure that all
parties have adequate time in which to comment, the modified or altered
system of records, including routine uses, will become effective 40
days from the publication of the notice, or from the date it was
submitted to OMB and the Congress, whichever is later, unless HCFA
receives comments that require alterations to this notice.
ADDRESSES: The public should address comments to: Director, Division of
Data Liaison and Distribution (DDLD), HCFA, Room N2-04-27, 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 am.-3 pm., eastern
time zone.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard Cohen, Division of Methods and
Strategies, Program Integrity Group, Office of Financial Management,
HCFA, Mailstop C3-02-16, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland
21244-1850. The telephone number is 410-786-9537.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1998, HCFA informed the public of its
intent to add three new routine uses to designated HCFA systems of
records, under which HCFA may release information without the consent
of the individual to whom such information pertains in order to
prevent, deter, discover, detect, investigate, examine, prosecute, sue
with respect to, defend against, correct, remedy, or otherwise combat
fraud and abuse in programs HCFA administers.
Dated: August 10, 2000.
Nancy Ann Min DeParle,
Administrator, Health Care Financing Administration.
Appendix A
09-70-0005 ``National Claims History (NCH),'' HHS/HCFA/OIS;
09-70-0040 ``Health Care Financing Administration Medicare Heart
Transplant Data File,'' HHS/HCFA/OIS;
09-70-0501 ``Carrier Medicare Claims Records,'' HHS/HCFA;
09-70-0503 ``Intermediary Medicare Claims Records,'' HHS/HCFA;
09-70-0505 ``Supplemental Medical Insurance (SMI)Accounting
Collection and Enrollment System (SPACE),'' HHS/ HCFA;
09-70-0516 ``Medicare Physician Supplier Master File (MPSM),'' HHS/
HCFA;
09-70-0518 ``Medicare Clinic Physician Supplier Master File
(MCPS),'' HHS/HCFA;
09-70-0520 ``End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Program Management and
Medical Information System (PMMIS),'' HHS/HCFA/OIS;
09-70-0524 ``Intern and Resident Information System (IRIS),'' HHS/
HCFA/OFM;
09-70-0525 ``Medicare Physician Identification and Eligibility
System (MPIES),'' HHS/HCFA/OFM;
09-70-0526 ``Common Working File (CWF),'' HHS/HCFA/OIS;
09-70-0527 ``HCFA Utilization Review Investigatory Files (HURI),''
HHS/HCFA;
09-70-0530 ``Medicare Supplier Identification File (MSIF),'' HHS/
HCFA/OFM;
09-70-1511 ``Physical Therapists In Independent Practice
(Individuals) (PTIP),'' HHS/HCFA/OCSQ;
09-70-2003 ``Completion of State Medicaid Quality Control (MQC)
Reviews,'' HHS/HCFA/MB
09-70-2006 ``Income and Eligibility Verification for Medicaid
Eligibility Quality Control (MEQC) Reviews,'' HHS/HCFA/MB
09-70-4001 ``Group Health Plan (GHP) System,'' HHS/HCFA;
09-70-4003 ``Medicare HMO/CMP Beneficiary Reconsideration System
(MBRS),'' HHS/HCFA;
09-70-6001 ``Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS),'' HHS/
HCFA/OIS.
[FR Doc. 00-21096 Filed 8-17-00; 8:45 am]
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