Notice2026-15861
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
Primary source
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Published
August 5, 2026
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 Department of War for "Verification of Eligibility for Minimum Essential Coverage Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through a Department of War Health Benefits Plan."
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50544-50545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15861]
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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 Department of War for
``Verification of Eligibility for Minimum Essential Coverage Under the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through a Department of War
Health Benefits Plan.''
DATES: The deadline for comments on this notice is September 4, 2026.
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 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 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#480a293a2a293a29660c2d2527383d24273b082b253b6620203b662f273e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a5e7c4d7c7c4d7c48be1c0c8cad5d0c9cad6e5c6c8d68bcdcdd68bc2cad3">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about the
matching program, you may contact Terence Kane, Director, Division of
Automated Verifications and SEP Policy, Marketplace Eligibility and
Enrollment Group, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance
Oversight, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, at (301) 492-4449,
by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5f0b3a2d3a313c3a71343e313a1f3c322c7137372c71383029"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="73271601161d10165d18121d1633101e005d1b1b005d141c05">[email protected]</span></a>, or by mail at 7501 Wisconsin
Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814.
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
Department of War (identified in the applicable system of records
notice as Department of Defense) is the source agency.
[[Page 50545]]
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 Department of
War provides CMS with daily files, indicating whether an individual who
is seeking eligibility determination for financial assistance is
enrolled in TRICARE. CMS makes this data available to state
administering entities (AEs) through a data services hub, under a
separate matching agreement. CMS and AEs use the Department of War 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 Department of War 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. The Department of War
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
Department of War 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) individuals who are eligible for or enrolled
in a TRICARE plan, identified in data CMS receives from the Department
of War, 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 Department of War.
Categories of Records
The categories of records which will be provided by the Department
of War to CMS in this matching program are identity records and minimum
essential coverage period records, consisting of these data elements:
Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Coverage Begin Date(s) and Coverage End
Date(s).
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 Department of War
The applicable Department of War system of records is DMDC 02 DoD,
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), last published
in full at 87 FR 32384 (May 31, 2022).
[FR Doc. 2026-15861 Filed 8-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P
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