[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 229 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83542-83543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26330]


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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 a 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 the re-establishment of 
a 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 Benefit 
Plan.''

DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is January 2, 2024. 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 January 
1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) and within 3 months of expiration may be 
renewed for up to one additional year if the parties make no change to 
the matching program and certify that the program has been conducted in

[[Page 83543]]

compliance with the matching agreement.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments on this notice to the 
CMS Privacy Act Officer by mail at: Division of Security, Privacy 
Policy & Governance, Information Security & Privacy Group, Office of 
Information Technology, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 
Location: N1-14-56, 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 or by 
email at [email protected].

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 443-955-9966, 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 Act Officer, 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 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 daily files, identifying all Peace Corps volunteers 
and the dates when each volunteer was eligible for coverage under a 
Peace Corps health benefit plan, 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: (1) active and recently separated Peace Corps 
volunteers, identified in data CMS receives from the Peace Corps, and 
(2) consumers who apply for or are enrolled in private insurance 
coverage under a qualified health plan through a federally-facilitated 
or state-based 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.

SYSTEM(S) OF RECORDS:
A. System of Records Maintained by CMS
    The applicable CMS system of records is 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 the Peace Corps
    The applicable Peace Corps system of records is PC-17 Peace Corps, 
Volunteer Applicant and Service Records System, last published in full 
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. 2023-26330 Filed 11-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P