[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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