[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 8 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1910-1911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00589]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2024-OS-0005]


Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Notice of a new matching program.

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SUMMARY: This Computer Matching Agreement (CMA) verifies the 
eligibility of Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries who are 
Medicare eligible to receive TRICARE Benefits.

DATES: Comments will be accepted on or before February 12, 2024. This 
proposed action will be effective the day following the end of the 
comment period unless comments are received which result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    * Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
    Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    * Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant to the 
Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, 
4800 Mark Center Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria, VA 22350-
1700.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this Federal Register document. The general 
policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is 
to make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet 
at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, 
including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Mindy Smith, Management and 
Program Analyst, Privacy and Civil Liberties Directorate at (703) 571-
0070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DoD, Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) 
will provide the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a list of specific data 
elements for all DoD eligible beneficiaries both over and under the age 
of 65. CMS will: (1) match the Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of 
beneficiaries provided by DMDC against the information found in CMS's 
``Enrollment Database (EDB)'' system of records; (2) validate the 
identification of the individual against CMS beneficiary records based 
on SSN and date of birth

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provided by DMDC; (3) provide the individual's Medicare Beneficiary ID 
(MBI), Medicare enrollment status and address in the response file to 
DMDC. After receipt of the response file from CMS, DMDC will update the 
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) with 
appropriate Medicare information provided in the response file. The 
verified identification of eligible beneficiaries and their current 
Medicare enrollment status is maintained in DEERS for use by the 
Defense Health Agency in the management of its programs.
    Participating Agencies: The Department of Defense, Defense Manpower 
Data Center, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: 10 U.S.C. 1086(d).
    Purpose(s): This matching program verifies the eligibility of MHS 
beneficiaries who are Medicare eligible to receive TRICARE benefits.
    Categories of Individuals: The categories of individuals whose 
information is involved in the matching program is all members and 
retirees of the DoD and all the Uniformed Services, and DoD 
beneficiaries (e.g., dependent family members, legal guardians and 
other protectors and prior military members eligible for Department of 
Veterans Affairs benefits).
    Categories of Records: The categories of records involved in the 
matching program are SSN, date of birth, sex code, and Medicare data, 
including the assigned MBI, Medicare enrollment status, and address. 
DMDC will provide CMS with a finder file for the Under and Over 65 
Populations to match against an assigned CMS Health Insurance Claim 
Number (HICN) or MBI which are contained within EDB. The finder file 
sent from DoD will contain SSN, date of birth, sex code, and first and 
last name. The finder file will be used for SSN matching against an 
assigned HICN or MBI number. CMS will provide DoD with a reply file 
which will contain SSN, date of birth, sex code, first name, last name, 
and Medicare data. DMDC will provide data for approximately 10 million 
beneficiaries from DEERS to CMS for matching on a weekly basis. CMS 
will provide a reply file containing all appropriate matched and failed 
responses.
    System of Records: ``Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting 
System (DEERS),'' DMDC 02 DoD, published in full at 87 FR 32384 (May 
31, 2022). ``Military Health Information System (MHIS),'' EDHA 07, 
published at 85 FR 36190 (June 15, 2020). ``Enrollment Database 
(EDB),'' 09-70-0502, published in full at 73 FR 10249 (February 26, 
2008), updated at 78 FR 23938 (April 23, 2013), 81 FR 8204 (February 
18, 2016), and 83 FR 6591 (February 14, 2018).

    Dated: January 9, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-00589 Filed 1-9-24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P