[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16219-16220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06321]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

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

ACTION: Notice of new matching program.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing notice of a new matching program 
between CMS and the Peace Corps for ``Verification of Eligibility for 
Minimum Essential Coverage Under the Patient Protection and Affordable 
Care Act through a Peace Corps Health Benefits Plan.''

DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is April 26, 2021. The 
re-established matching program will commence not sooner than 30 days 
after publication of this notice, provided no comments are received 
that warrant a change to this notice. The matching program will be 
conducted for an initial term of 18 months (from approximately July 1, 
2021 to December 31, 2022) and within 3 months of expiration may be 
renewed for one additional year if the parties make no change to the 
matching program and certify that the program has been conducted in 
compliance with the matching agreement.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments as follows:
    1. Electronically. You may send your comments electronically to 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ``Comment or 
Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the information 
collection document(s) that are accepting comments.
    2. By Regular Mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Division of 
Security, Privacy Policy & Governance, Information Security & Privacy 
Group, Office of Information Technology,

[[Page 16220]]

Location: N1-14-56, 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about the 
matching program, you may contact Anne Pesto, Senior Advisor, 
Marketplace Eligibility and Enrollment Group, Center for Consumer 
Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, at 410-786-3492, by email at [email protected], or by 
mail at 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 
U.S.C. 552a) provides certain protections for individuals applying for 
and receiving federal benefits. The law governs the use of computer 
matching by federal agencies when records in a system of records 
(meaning, federal agency records about individuals retrieved by name or 
other personal identifier) are matched with records of other federal or 
non-federal agencies. The Privacy Act requires agencies involved in a 
matching program to:
    1. Enter into a written agreement, which must be prepared in 
accordance with the Privacy Act, approved by the Data Integrity Board 
of each source and recipient federal agency, provided to Congress and 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and made available to the 
public, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o), (u)(3)(A), and (u)(4).
    2. Notify the individuals whose information will be used in the 
matching program that the information they provide is subject to 
verification through matching, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(1)(D).
    3. Verify match findings before suspending, terminating, reducing, 
or making a final denial of an individual's benefits or payments or 
taking other adverse action against the individual, as required by 5 
U.S.C. 552a(p).
    4. Report the matching program to Congress and the OMB, in advance 
and annually, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o) (2)(A)(i), (r), and 
(u)(3)(D).
    5. Publish advance notice of the matching program in the Federal 
Register as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12).
    This matching program meets these requirements.

Barbara Demopulos,
Privacy Advisor, Division of Security, Privacy Policy and Governance, 
Office of Information Technology, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services.

Participating Agencies

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the recipient agency, and the 
Peace Corps is the source agency.

Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    The principal statutory authority for the matching program is 42 
U.S.C. 18001, et seq.

Purpose(s)

    The purpose of the matching program is to assist CMS in determining 
individuals' eligibility for financial assistance in paying for private 
health insurance coverage. In this matching program, the Peace Corps 
provides CMS with data identifying all Peace Corps volunteers, which 
CMS makes available to state administering entities (AEs) through a 
data services hub, under a separate matching agreement. CMS and AEs use 
the Peace Corps data to verify whether an individual who is applying 
for or is enrolled in private health insurance coverage under a 
qualified health plan through a federally-facilitated or state-based 
health insurance exchange is eligible for coverage under a Peace Corps 
health benefit plan, for the purpose of determining the individual's 
eligibility for financial assistance (including an advance tax credit 
and cost sharing reduction, which are types of insurance affordability 
programs) in paying for private health insurance coverage. Peace Corps 
health benefit plans provide minimum essential coverage, and 
eligibility for such plans precludes eligibility for financial 
assistance in paying for private coverage. The data provided by the 
Peace Corps under this matching program will be used by CMS and AEs to 
authenticate identity, determine eligibility for financial assistance, 
and determine the amount of any financial assistance.

Categories of Individuals

    The categories of individuals whose information is involved in the 
matching program are:
     Active and recently separated Peace Corps volunteers, 
identified in data CMS receives from the Peace Corps; and
     Consumers who apply for or are enrolled in private 
insurance coverage under a qualified health plan through a federally-
facilitated health insurance exchange (and other relevant individuals, 
such as applicants' and enrollees' household members), whose records 
are matched against the data CMS receives from the Peace Corps.

Categories of Records

    The categories of records which will be provided by the Peace Corps 
to CMS in this matching program are identity records and minimum 
essential coverage period records, consisting of these data elements: 
Last name, middle initial, first name, and date of birth. CMS will not 
send any data about individual applicants/enrollees to the Peace Corps 
in order to receive this data about Peace Corps volunteers.

A. System of Records Maintained by CMS

    CMS Health Insurance Exchanges System (HIX), CMS System No. 09-70-
0560, last published in full at 78 FR 63211 (Oct. 23, 2013), as amended 
at 83 FR 6591 (Feb. 14, 2018).

B. System of Records Maintained by Peace Corps

    The Peace Corps SORN that supports this matching program is PC-17 
Peace Corps, Volunteer Applicant and Service Records System, published 
at 50 FR 1950 (Jan. 14, 1985) and partially amended at 65 FR 63641 
(Oct. 24, 2000), 72 FR 44878 (Aug. 9, 2007), 75 FR 53000 (Aug. 30, 
2010), and 79 FR 41599 (July 16, 2014). Routine Use (i) published at 50 
FR 1950 (Jan. 14, 1985), which permits disclosures ``to verify active 
or former volunteer service,'' authorizes the Peace Corps' disclosures 
to CMS.

[FR Doc. 2021-06321 Filed 3-25-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P