Notice2023-26330
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
Primary source
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Published
November 30, 2023
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
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."
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 229 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 229 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83542-83543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86c4e7f4e4e7f4e7a8c2e3ebe9f6f3eae9f5c6e5ebf5a8eeeef5a8e1e9f0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c2e0d1e0e0d1e0d42280901031c1900031f2c0f011f4204041f420b031a">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ef8e81818ac19f8a9c9b80af8c829cc187879cc1888099"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="284946464d06584d5b5c47684b455b0640405b064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>, 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
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