75596 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2023 / Notices 

Proposed Project 

Occupational Exposures to Surgical 

Smoke in Veterinary Personnel—New— 

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Brief Description 

Surgical smoke produced during 

tissue cutting and cauterizing tissues 

and blood vessels generates hazardous 

gaseous compounds and aerosols that 

are associated with cancer and 

respiratory irritation; however, no 

research has characterized surgical 

smoke generated from animal tissue in 

clinical veterinary settings. Surgical 

smoke exposure is an emerging concern 

in human operating rooms, and several 

states have either passed or are 

considering bills requiring surgical 

smoke evacuation systems in human 

operating rooms to mitigate this 

occupational hazard. Surgical suites in 

veterinary clinics are often multiple bay 

suites or have less effective ventilation 

systems than human operating rooms, 

potentially leading to higher exposure 

levels, yet no research has examined 

barriers and aids to the use of surgical 

smoke evacuation systems among 

veterinary medicine/animal care (VM/ 

AC) personnel. 

The proposed project will 

characterize occupational exposure to 

surgical smoke and related respiratory 

health effects in clinical veterinary 

settings. Data will be used to examine: 

(1) work-related factors that contribute 

to exposure to surgical smoke in clinical 

veterinary settings; (2) relationships 

between surgical smoke exposure in 

clinical veterinary settings and 

respiratory health; and (3) barriers and 

aids to implementing surgical smoke 

extraction systems that reduce 

occupational exposures to surgical 

smoke. Findings from this study will 

help to provide guidance on engineering 

controls to improve air quality in VM/ 

AC personnel’s work environment by 

reducing exposure to surgical smoke. 

Three veterinary teaching hospitals 

and a national network of community 

veterinary clinics have been recruited to 

participate in this research. 

Participating VM/AC personnel at 

collaborating field study sites will 

complete: (1) a baseline questionnaire 

that collects data on demographics, 

work history, job tasks, exposures to 

respiratory hazards (including surgical 

smoke), use of personal protective 

equipment, workplace safety climate, 

and respiratory health and symptoms; 

and (2) a post-shift questionnaire 

assessing acute respiratory symptoms 

and job tasks during the work shift. 

CDC requests OMB approval for an 

estimated 59 annual burden hours. 

There are no costs to respondents other 

than their time to participate. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Type of respondents Form name Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hours) 

Total burden 

(in hours) 

VM/AC personnel .............................. Baseline Questionnaire .................... 33 1 28/60 15 

VM/AC personnel .............................. Post-shift Questionnaire ................... 33 10 8/60 44 

Total ........................................... ........................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 59 

Jeffrey M. Zirger, 

Lead, Information Collection Review Office, 

Office of Public Health Ethics and 

Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24345 Filed 11–2–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program 

AGENCY: Center for Consumer 

Information and Insurance Oversight 

(CCIIO), Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), Department 

of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice of a new matching 

program. 

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 

computer matching program between 

CMS and the Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM), ‘‘Verification of 

Eligibility of Minimum Essential 

Coverage Under the Patient Protection 

and Affordable Care Act through an 

Office of Personnel Management Health 

Benefit Plan.’’ 

DATES: The deadline for comments on 

this notice is December 4, 2023. The reestablished 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 

December 8, 2023 to June 7, 2025) and 

within three 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 

Barbara.Demopulos@cms.hhs.gov. 

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 anne.pesto@cms.hhs.gov, 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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2023 / Notices 75597 

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 Office of 

Personnel Management (OPM) 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 provide CMS with OPM data which 

CMS and state Administering Entities 

(AEs) need to determine individuals’ 

eligibility for financial assistance in 

paying for private health insurance 

coverage, under provisions of the 

Patient Protection and Affordable Care 

Act. In this matching program, OPM 

provides CMS with monthly data 

identifying each active federal 

employee’s status as enrolled in or 

eligible for coverage under an OPM 

Health Benefit Plan, and an annual 

premium spread index file identifying 

the lowest premium available to a 

federal employee in each of 32 premium 

localities. CMS and AEs use the OPM 

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 an OPM health benefit 

plan, for the purpose of determining if 

the individual is eligible for financial 

assistance (including an advance tax 

credit and cost sharing reduction, which 

are types of insurance affordability 

programs) in paying for the private 

coverage. OPM health benefit plans 

provide minimum essential coverage, 

and eligibility for such plans precludes 

eligibility for financial assistance in 

paying for private coverage. 

Categories of Individuals 

The categories of individuals whose 

information is involved in the matching 

program are: (1) active federal 

employees, and (2) consumers who 

apply for or are enrolled in a qualified 

health plan through an exchange 

established under the Patient Protection 

and Affordable Care Act and receive 

determinations of eligibility for 

insurance affordability programs. 

Categories of Records 

The categories of records used in the 

matching program are identity 

information about the above consumers, 

which are maintained by CMS, and 

identity information and minimum 

essential coverage period records about 

all active federal employees, and annual 

premium information, maintained by 

OPM. The data elements provided to 

CMS by OPM are as follows: 

• Monthly status file: 

a. Record type; 

b. Record number; 

c. Unique person ID; 

d. Social security number; 

e. Last name; 

f. Middle name; 

g. First name; 

h. Last name suffix; 

i. Gender; 

j. Date of birth; and 

k. Health plan code. 

• Annual Premium Spread Index File: 

a. State; 

b. Plan; 

c. Option; 

d. Enrollment code; 

e. Current total bi-weekly premium; 

f. Future total bi-weekly premium; 

g. Future government pays bi-weekly 

premium; 

h. Future employee pays bi-weekly 

premium 

i. Future change in employee payment 

bi-weekly premium; 

j. Current total monthly premium; 

k. Future total monthly premium; 

l. Future government pays monthly 

premium; 

m. Future employee pays monthly 

premium; and 

n. Future change in employee 

payment monthly premium. 

CMS will not send any data about 

individual applicants or enrollees to 

OPM in order to receive this data from 

OPM. 

System(s) of Records 

The records used in the matching 

program are maintained in these 

systems of records: 

A. System of Records Maintained by 

CMS 

CMS Health Insurance Exchanges 

System (HIX), System No. 09–70–0560, 

last published in full at 78 FR 63211 

(Oct. 23, 2013), and amended at 83 FR 

6591 (Feb. 14, 2018). 

B. System of Records Maintained by 

OPM 

OPM/GOVT–1 General Personnel 

Records, last published in full at 77 FR 

79694 (Dec. 11, 2012), and amended at 

80 FR 74815 (Nov. 30, 2015) and 87 FR 

5874 (Feb. 2, 2022). The disclosures of 

OPM data to CMS are authorized by 

Routine Use ‘‘rr’’. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24331 Filed 11–2–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10558] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, Health and Human 

Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing 

an opportunity for the public to 

comment on CMS’ intention to collect 

information from the public. Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the 

PRA), federal agencies are required to 

publish notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information (including each proposed 

extension or reinstatement of an existing 

collection of information) and to allow 

60 days for public comment on the 

proposed action. Interested persons are 

invited to send comments regarding our 

burden estimates or any other aspect of 

this collection of information, including 

the necessity and utility of the proposed 


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