[Federal Register: September 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 174)]
[Notices]
[Page 53666-53667]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09se05-90]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[HHS Computer Match No. 0508; CMS Computer Match No. 2005-05]
Privacy Act of 1974
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
ACTION: Notice of Computer Matching Program (CMP).
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended, this notice establishes a CMP that CMS plans to
conduct with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
We have provided background information about the proposed matching
program in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. The Privacy Act
requires that CMS provide an opportunity for interested persons to
comment on the proposed matching program. We may defer implementation
of this matching program if we receive comments that persuade us to
defer implementation. See EFFECTIVE DATES section below for comment
period.
EFFECTIVE DATES: CMS filed a report of the CMP with the Chair of the
House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, the Chair of the
Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and the Administrator, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) on 09/01/2005. We will not disclose any information under a
matching agreement until 40 days after filing a report to OMB and
Congress or 30 days after publication.
ADDRESSES: The public should address comments to: CMS Privacy Officer,
Division of Privacy Compliance Data Development, Enterprise Databases
Group, Office of Information Services, CMS, Mail-stop N2-04-27, 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 a.m.-3 p.m.,
eastern daylight time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lourdes Grindal Miller, Health
Insurance Specialist, Program Integrity Group, Office of Financial
Management, CMS, Mail-stop C3-02-16, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore
Maryland 21244-1850. The telephone number is 410-786-1022 and e-mail is
Lourdes.grindalmiller@cms.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description of the Matching Program
A. General
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 computer matching
programs 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.
B. CMS Computer Matches Subject to the Privacy Act
CMS has taken action to ensure that all CMPs that this Agency
participates in comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended.
Dated: August 30, 2005.
John R. Dyer,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS COMPUTER MATCH No. 2005-05
NAME:
``Computer Matching Agreement (CMA) Between the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the State of Florida Agency for
Health Care Administration (AHCA) titled ``Disclosure of Medicare and
Medicaid Information.''
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Level Three Privacy Act Sensitive.
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and State of Florida
Agency for Health Care Administration.
AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING MATCHING PROGRAM:
This CMA is executed to comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (Title
5 United States Code (U.S.C.) Sec. 552a), as amended, (as amended by
Public Law (Pub. L.) 100-503), the Computer Matching and Privacy
Protection Act (CMPPA) of 1988), the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circular A-130, titled ``Management of Federal Information
Resources'' at 65 Federal Register (FR) 77677 (December 12, 2000), 61
FR 6435 (February 20, 1996), and OMB guidelines pertaining to computer
matching at 54 FR 25818 (June 19, 1989).
This Agreement provides for information matching fully consistent
with the authority of the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services (Secretary). Section 1816 of the Social Security Act
(the Act) permits the Secretary to contract with Fiscal Intermediaries
(FI) to ``make such audits of the records of providers as may be
necessary to insure that proper payments are made under this part,''
and to ``perform such other functions as are necessary to carry out
this subsection'' (42 U.S.C. 1395h(a)).
Section 1842 of the Act provides that the Secretary may contract
with entities known as carriers to ``make such audits of the records of
providers of services as may be necessary to assure that proper
payments are made'' (42 U.S.C. 1395u(a)(1)(C)); ``assist in the
application of safeguards against unnecessary utilization of services
furnished by providers of services and other persons to individuals
entitled to benefits'' (42 U.S.C. 1395u(a)(2)(B)); and ``to otherwise
assist * * * in discharging administrative duties necessary to carry
out the purposes of this part'' (42 U.S.C. 1395u(a)(4)).
Furthermore, Sec. 1874(b) of the Act authorizes the Secretary to
contract with any person, agency, or institution to secure on a
reimbursable basis such special data, actuarial information, and other
information as may be necessary in the carrying out of his functions
under this title (42 U.S.C. 1395kk(b)).
Section 1893 of the Act establishes the Medicare Integrity Program,
under
[[Page 53667]]
which the Secretary may contract with eligible entities to conduct a
variety of program safeguard activities, including fraud review
employing equipment and software technologies that surpass the existing
capabilities of FIs and carriers (42 U.S.C. 1395ddd)). The contracting
entities are called Program Safeguards Contractors.
Pursuant to Sec. 409.902, Florida Statutes (F.S.), AHCA is charged
with the administration of the Medicaid program in Florida, and is the
single state agency for such purpose. AHCA is required to operate a
program to oversee the activities of Florida Medicaid recipients and
providers to ensure that fraudulent and abusive behavior occurs to the
minimum extent possible (Sec. 409.913, F.S.).
AHCA's disclosure of the Medicaid data pursuant to this agreement
is for purposes directly connected with the administration of the
Medicaid program, in compliance with 42 CFR 431.300 through 431.307.
Those purposes are the detection, prosecution and deterrence of fraud
and abuse (F&A) in the Medicaid program.
PURPOSE(S) OF THE MATCHING PROGRAM:
The purpose of this agreement is to establish the conditions,
safeguards, and procedures under which CMS will conduct a computer
matching program with AHCA to study claims, billing, and eligibility
information to detect suspected instances of Medicare and Medicaid F&A
in the State of Florida. CMS and AHCA will provide EDS, a CMS
contractor (hereinafter referred to as the ``Custodian'') with Medicare
and Medicaid records pertaining to eligibility, claims, and billing
which the Custodian will match in order to merge the information into a
single database. Utilizing fraud detection software, the information
will then be used to identify patterns of aberrant practices requiring
further investigation. The following are examples of the type of
aberrant practices that may constitute F&A by practitioners, providers,
and suppliers in the State of Florida expected to be identified in this
matching program: (1) Billing for provisions of more than 24 hours of
services in one day, (2) providing treatment and services in ways more
statistically significant than similar practitioner groups, and (3) up-
coding and billing for services more expensive than those actually
performed.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS AND INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE MATCH:
This CMP will enhance the ability of CMS and AHCA to detect F&A by
matching claims data, eligibility, and practitioner, provider, and
supplier enrollment records of Medicare beneficiaries, practitioners,
providers, and suppliers in the State of Florida against records of
Florida Medicaid beneficiaries, practitioners, providers, and suppliers
in the State of Florida.
DESCRIPTION OF RECORDS TO BE USED IN THE MATCHING PROGRAM:
The data for CMS are maintained in the following Systems of
Records: National Claims History (NCH), System No. 09-70-0005 was most
recently published in the Federal Register, at 67 FR 57015 (September
6, 2002.) NCH contains records needed to facilitate obtaining Medicare
utilization review data that can be used to study the operation and
effectiveness of the Medicare program. Matched data will be released to
AHCA pursuant to the routine use as set forth in the system notice.
Carrier Medicare Claims Record, System No. 09-70-0501 was published
in the Federal Register at 67 FR 54428 (August 22, 2002). Matched data
will be released to AHCA pursuant to the routine use as set forth in
the system notice.
Enrollment Database, System No. 09-70-0502 was published in the
Federal Register at 67 FR 3203 (January 23, 2002). Matched data will be
released to AHCA pursuant to the routine use set forth in the system
notice.
Intermediary Medicare Claims Record, System No. 09-70-0503 was
published in the Federal Register at 67 FR 65982 (October 29, 2002).
Matched data will be released to AHCA pursuant to the routine use as
set forth in the system notice.
Unique Physician/Provider Identification Number, System No. 09-70-
0525, was most recently published in the Federal Register at 69 FR
75316 (December 16, 2004). Matched data will be released to AHCA
pursuant to the routine use as set forth in the system notice.
Medicare Supplier Identification File, System No. 09-70-0530 was
most recently published in the Federal Register, at 67 FR 48184 (July
23, 2002). Matched data will be released to AHCA pursuant to the
routine use as set forth in the system notice.
Medicare Beneficiary Database, System No. 09-70-0536 was published
in the Federal Register at 67 FR 63392 (December 6, 2001). Matched data
will be released to AHCA pursuant to the routine use as set forth in
the system notice.
The data for AHCA are maintained in the following data files:
Claims File Layouts HIPAA Version, Download File Record File-Claims,
Recipient File Layout, Provider File Layout.
INCLUSIVE DATES OF THE MATCH:
The CMP shall become effective no sooner than 40 days after the
report of the Matching Program is sent to OMB and Congress, or 30 days
after publication in the Federal Register, which ever 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. 05-17846 Filed 9-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P