[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70115-70116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24388]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS Computer Match No. 2016-15; HHS Computer Match No. 1609]


Privacy Act of 1974

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

ACTION: Notice of Computer Matching Program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended, this notice announces the establishment of a Computer 
Matching Program that CMS plans to conduct with the Peace Corps (PC).

DATES: Effective Dates: Comments are invited on all portions of this 
notice. Public comments are due within 30 days after publication. The 
matching program will become effective no sooner than 40 days after the 
report of the matching program is sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) and Congress, or 30 days after publication in the Federal 
Register, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: The public should send comments to: CMS Privacy Act Officer, 
Division of Security, Privacy Policy & Governance, Information Security 
& Privacy Group, Office of Enterprise Information, CMS, Room N l-24-08, 
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 9:00 a.m.-
3:00 p.m., Eastern Time zone.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lindsey Murtagh, Center for Consumer 
Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, Phone: (301) 492-4106, E-Mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection 
Act of 1988 (Public Law (Pub. L.) 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 
U.S.C. 552a) by describing the manner in which computer matching 
involving Federal agencies could be performed and adding certain 
protections for individuals applying for and receiving Federal 
benefits. Section 7201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 
(Pub. L. 101-508) further amended the Privacy Act regarding protections 
for such individuals. The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of 
computer matching by Federal agencies when records in a system of 
records are matched with other Federal, state, or local government 
records. It requires Federal agencies involved in a CMP to:

    1. Negotiate written agreements with the other agencies 
participating in the matching programs;
    2. Obtain the Data Integrity Board approval of the match 
agreements;
    3. Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress and 
OMB;
    4. Notify applicants and beneficiaries that the records are subject 
to matching; and,
    5. Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, 
or denying an individual's benefits or payments.

This matching program meets the requirements of the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended.

Walter Stone,
CMS Privacy Act Officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS Computer Match No. 2016-15

 HHS Computer Match No.1609

Name
    Computer Matching Agreement between the Department of Health and 
Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Peace 
Corps for the ``Verification of Eligibility for Minimum Essential 
Coverage Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Through a 
Peace Corps Health Benefits Plan.''

Security Classification
    Unclassified.

Participating Agencies
    Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Peace Corps (PC).

Authority for Conducting Matching Program
    Sections 1411 and 1413 of the Patient Protection and Affordable 
Care Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the Health Care 
and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152) 
(collectively, the ACA) require the Secretary of HHS to establish a 
program for applying for and determining eligibility for advance 
payments of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions and 
authorize use of secure, electronic interfaces and an on-line system 
for the verification of eligibility.
    The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (CMPPA) 
(Public Law 100-503), amended the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and 
requires the parties participating in a matching program to execute a 
written agreement specifying the terms and conditions under which the 
matching will be conducted. CMS has determined that status verification 
checks to be conducted through the CMS Data Services Hub (Hub) by 
agencies administering insurance affordability programs using data 
provided in bulk by PC through a security transfer data protocol to CMS 
constitute a ``computer matching program'' as defined in the CMPPA.

Purpose(s) of the Matching Program
    The purpose of the Computer Matching Agreement is to establish the 
terms, conditions, safeguards, and procedures under which the Peace 
Corps will provide records, information, or data to CMS for verifying 
eligibility for Minimum Essential Coverage through a Peace Corps Health 
Benefits Plan. The data will be used by CMS in its capacity as a 
Federally-facilitated Exchange, and agencies administering insurance 
affordability programs that will receive the results of verifications 
using PC data obtained through the CMS Data Services Hub.
    Data will be matched for the purpose of verifying an Applicant or 
Enrollee's eligibility for PC Health Benefit Plans that constitute 
minimum essential coverage as defined in Sec.  5000A(f) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 5000A, as amended by Sec.  1501 of the 
ACA.

Description of Records To Be Used in the Matching Program
    The Peace Corps maintains the following SORN to support this data 
matching program: ``Peace Corps Manual Section 897, Attachment B, PC-17 
Volunteer Applicant and Service Records System.'' Routine Use (i) is 
used ``to verify active or former Volunteer service''--supports 
disclosure to CMS.
    CMS maintains the following SORN to support this data to support 
this data matching program: ``Health Insurance Exchanges Program 
(HIX)'', CMS System No. 09-70-0560, originally published at 78 FR 8538 
(Feb. 6, 2013), and last amended at 78 Federal Register, 63211 (October 
23, 2013).

[[Page 70116]]

Inclusive Dates of the Match
    The CMP will become effective no sooner than 40 days after the 
report of the matching program is sent to OMB, 30 days after a copy of 
the matching agreement is transmitted to Congress, or 30 days after 
publication in the Federal Register, whichever is later. The matching 
program will continue for 18 months from the effective date and may be 
extended for an additional 12 months thereafter, if certain conditions 
are met.

[FR Doc. 2016-24388 Filed 10-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4120-03-P