3650 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2001 / Notices

payable under Title II of the Social

Security Act.

On October 24, 2000, for the period

beginning December 1, 2000, the Social

Security Administration announced at

65 FR 63663 of the Federal Register, a

3.5 percent cost-of-living increase in

Social Security Benefits under Title II of

the Social Security Act. The Veteran

Benefits Administration has indicated

Pension benefits will be increased by a

3.5 percent cost-of-living increase

effective December 1, 2000. Therefore,

applying the same percentage and

rounding up in accordance with 38 CFR

3.29, the following income limitations

for the Means Test Thresholds will be

effective January 1, 2001.

TABLE 1.—MEANS TEST THRESHOLDS

(1) Veterans with no dependents:

(a) Means Test Co-payment

Exempted Category ........... $23,688

(b) Means Test Co-payment

Required Category ............ 23,689

(2) Veterans with 1 dependent:

(a) Means Test Co-payment

Exempt Category ............... 28,429

(b) Means Test Co-payment

Required Category ............ 28,430

(3) Veterans with 2 dependents:

(a) Means Test Co-payment

Exempt Category . ............ 30,015

(b) Means Test Co-payment

Required Category ............ 30,016

(4) Veterans with 3 dependents:

(a) Means Test Co-payment

Exempt Category ............... 31,601

(b) Means Test Co-payment

Required Category ............ 31,602

(5) Veterans with 4 dependents:

(a) Means Test Co-payment

Exempt Category ............... 33,187

(b) Means Test Co-payment

Required Category ............ 33,188

(6) Veterans with 5 dependents:

(a) Means Test Co-payment

Exempt Category ............... 34,773

(b) Means Test Co-payment

Required Category ............ 34,774

(7) Child Income Exclusion is: 7,450

(8) The Medicare deductible is: 792

(9) Maximum annual Rate of

Pension effective December

1, 2000 are:

(a) The base rate is .............. 9,304

(b) The base rate with one

dependent is ...................... 12,186

(c) Add 1,586 each additional

dependent.

Approved: January 5, 2001.

Hershel W. Gober,

Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

[FR Doc. 01–1180 Filed 1–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Privacy Act of 1974; System of

Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Report of New System of

Records—Consolidated Data

Information System—VA (97VA105).

SUMMARY: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5

U.S.C. 552(e)(4)) requires that all

agencies publish in the Federal Register

a notice of the existence and character

of their system of records. Notice is

hereby given that VA is adding a new

system of records entitled

‘‘Consolidated Data Information

System—VA’’ (97VA105).

DATES: Comments on the establishment

of the new system of records must be

received no later than February 15,

2001. If no public comment is received

during the period allowed for comment

or unless otherwise published in the

Federal Register by VA, the system will

become effective February 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be

submitted to Director, Office of

Regulations Management (02D),

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810

Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC

20420. Comments will be available for

public inspection at the above address

in the Office of Regulations

Management, Room 1176, between the

hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, excluding

Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Veterans Health Administration Privacy

Act Officer (193B2), Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20420, (727) 320–

1839.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under

Section 527 of Title 38, U.S.C., and the

Government Performance and Results

Act of 1993, Pub. L. 103–62, VA is

required to measure and evaluate, on an

ongoing basis, the effectiveness of VA

benefit programs and services. In

performing this required function, VA

must collect, collate and analyze full

statistical data regarding participation,

provision of services, categories of

beneficiaries, and planning of

expenditures for all VA programs. For

this reason, VA is establishing a new

system of records, which combines

information from several existing

systems of records with information

from non-VA sources. This combined

database is necessary for VA to

accurately and timely assess the current

health care usage by the patient

population served by VA, to forecast

future demand for VA medical care by

individuals currently eligible for service

by VA medical facilities, and to

understand the numerous implications

of cross-utilization between VA and

non-VA health care systems.

Records from the Patient Medical

Record System (24VA136), the Patient

Fee Basis Medical and Pharmacy

Records (23VA136), Veterans and

Beneficiaries Identification and Records

Location Subsystem (38VA23),

Compensation, Pension, Education and

Rehabilitation Records (58VA21/22),

and Automated Medication Processing

Records (56VA119) will be incorporated

into this new system of records. Specific

request files will be created for use in

submitting requests for veteran-specific

data from the Health Care Financing

Administration (HCFA), the Department

of Defense (DoD), and other non-VA

data sources including state Medicaid

databases. The new database will be

created by including Medicare data

records on utilization and enrollment

for all VA users, enrollees and special

category veterans. Utilization and

enrollment data will also be extracted

from the DoD military personnel system

of records in order to supplement VA’s

database. This system will not be used

by VA to make any determinations as to

individual veteran’s benefits. Because

the exchange of data among VA, HCFA,

DoD, and any other non-VA agencies

will be only for the purpose of

identifying current health care usage

and forecasting future health care usage

by VA beneficiaries, the computer

matching provision of the Privacy Act

does not apply.

VA will maintain the system of

records in electronic form at VA

Management Science Group, Bedford,

Massachusetts, and VA Information

Resource Center, Hines, Illinois. Copies

or parts of these records may be

maintained at VA Automation Center,

Austin, Texas, and VA Allocation

Resource Center, Braintree,

Massachusetts. Multiple sites are

needed because VA data files will be

drawn from multiple locations and

merged data files will be very large. Data

in the system of records will include

names, social security numbers (SSNs),

demographic and health services

utilization data for all VHA users and

special veteran populations; inpatient,

outpatient, physician supplier, nursing

home, hospice, home care, and durable

medical equipment data form HCFA;

and utilization and enrollment data

from DoD. The new database will be

used to produce reports for statistical

analyses on, for example: (1) The

number of Medicare-eligible users who

obtain health care services from VA,

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2001 / Notices 3651

Medicare, and both VA and Medicare

providers (dual use); (2) the number of

‘‘dual use’’ veterans by specific disease

categories; and (3) the inpatient,

outpatient, and total costs associated

with VA services and Medicare covered

services by ‘‘dual use’’ veterans.

Statistical reports will not contain

individually identifiable health

information.

We are proposing to establish the

following routine use disclosures of

information which will be maintained

in the system:

1. To Federal, State, and local

agencies for the purpose of better

identifying the total current health care

usage of the patient population by VA,

to forecast future demand for VA

medical care, and as part of statistical

matching programs.

VA needs to obtain information from

other agencies in order to collect full

statistical data regarding participation

and provision of services to the patient

population served by VA as well as nonVA health care systems. The records

may also be disclosed as part of

statistical matching programs to

accomplish these purposes.

2. To Federal, State and local

government agencies and national

health organizations in order to assist in

the development of programs that will

be beneficial to claimants and to protect

their rights under law and assure that

they are receiving all benefits to which

they are entitled.

VA needs to obtain information from

other agencies in order to measure and

evaluate, on an ongoing basis, the

effectiveness of VA benefit programs

and services.

3. To a Federal, State, or local agency

charged with the responsibility of

investigating or prosecuting civil,

criminal or regulatory violations of law,

or charged with enforcing or

implementing the statute, regulation,

rule or order issued pursuant thereto.

The names and addresses of veterans

may only be disclosed:

• To a Federal agency when it is

relevant to a suspected violation or

reasonably imminent violation of law;

and

• To a State or local agency under a

written request when it is relevant to a

suspected violation or reasonably

imminent violation of law concerning

public health or safety.

VA must be able to comply with the

requirements of agencies charged with

enforcing the law, and investigations of

violations or possible violations of law.

VA must also be able to provide

information to State or local agencies

charged with protecting the public

health as set forth in State law.

4. To epidemiological and other

research facilities approved by the

Under Secretary for Health for research

purposes (disclosure excludes names

and addresses).

VA must be able to disclose

information for research purposes

approved by the Under Secretary for

Health.

5. To a Federal department or agency

or to a contractor of a Federal

department or agency in order to

conduct Federal research necessary to

accomplish a statutory purpose of an

agency.

VA must be able to disclose

information for research purposes

needed to accomplish a statutory

purpose of a Federal agency.

6. To the National Archives and

Record Administration (NARA) in

records management inspections

conducted under authority of 44 U.S.C.

2904 and 2906.

NARA is responsible for archiving old

records no longer actively used, but

which may be appropriate for

preservation; they are responsible in

general for the physical maintenance of

the Federal government’s records. VA

must be able to turn records over to this

agency in order to determine the proper

disposition of such records.

7. To the Department of Justice or in

a proceeding before a court, adjudicative

body, or other administrative body

before which the Agency is authorized

to appear when the Agency, or any

component thereof; or any employee of

the Agency in his or her official

capacity; where the Department of

Justice or the Agency has agreed to

represent the employee; or the U.S.

when the Agency determines that

litigation is likely to affect the Agency

or any of its components, is a party to

litigation, and has an interest in such

litigation, and the use of such records by

the Department of Justice or the Agency

is deemed by the Agency to be relevant

and necessary to the litigation provided,

however, that the disclosure is

compatible with the purpose for which

the records were collected.

Whenever VA is involved in

litigation, or occasionally when another

party is involved in litigation and VA

policies or operations could be affected

by the outcome of the litigation, VA

would be able to disclose information to

the court or parties involved. A

determination would be made in each

instance that, under the circumstances

involved, the purpose served by the use

of the information in the particular

litigation is compatible with a purpose

for which VA collects the information.

8. To individuals, organizations,

private or public agencies, etc., with

whom VA has a contract or agreement

to perform such services as VA may

deem practicable for the purposes of

laws administered by VA, in order for

the contractor or subcontractor to

perform the services of the contract or

agreement.

VA must be able to provide

information to contractors or

subcontractors with whom VA has a

contract or agreement in order to

perform the services of the contract or

agreement.

Release of information from these

records will be made only in accordance

with the provisions of the Privacy Act

of 1974 for investigative, judicial and

administrative uses. The Privacy Act

permits us to disclose information about

individuals without their consent for a

routine use when the information will

be used for a purpose that is compatible

with the purpose for which we collected

the information. In all of the routine use

disclosures described above, either the

recipient of the information will use the

information in connection with a matter

relating to one of VA’s programs, will

use the information to provide a benefit

to VA, or disclosure is required by law.

VA has determined that release of

information for these purposes is a

necessary and proper use of information

and that specific routine uses for

transfer of this information are

appropriate.

Approved: December 15, 2000.

Hershel W. Gober,

Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

97VA105

SYSTEM NAME:

Consolidated Data Information

System-VA.

SYSTEM LOCATION(S):

Records will be maintained at the

following computer site locations: VA

Management Science Group, 200

Springs Road, Bedford, Massachusetts

01730; and VA Information Resource

Center, 5th Avenue & Roosevelt Road,

Hines, Illinois 60141. Copies or parts of

these records may be maintained at the

following computer site locations: VA

Automation Center, 1615 Woodward

Street, Austin, Texas 78722; and VA

Allocation Resource Center, 100

Grandview Road, Braintree,

Massachusetts 02184.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM:

The records include information

concerning active duty military

personnel, veterans, their spouses and

their dependents, and individuals who

are not VA beneficiaries, but who

receive health care services from VHA.

3652 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2001 / Notices

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

The categories of records in the

system will include veterans’ names,

addresses, dates of birth, VA claim

numbers, SSNs, and military service

information; medical benefit application

and eligibility information; code sheets

and follow-up notes; sociological,

diagnostic, counseling, rehabilitation,

drug and alcohol, dietetic, medical,

surgical, dental, psychological, and/or

psychiatric medical information;

prosthetic, pharmacy, nuclear medicine,

social work, clinical laboratory and

radiology information; patient

scheduling information; family

information such as next of kin, spouse

and dependents; names, addresses,

social security numbers and dates of

birth; family medical history,

employment information; financial

information; third-party health plan

information; information related to

ionizing radiation and Agent Orange;

date of death; VA claim and insurance

file numbers; travel benefits

information; military decorations;

disability or pension payment

information; information on

indebtedness arising from 38 U.S.C.

benefits; medical and dental treatment

in the Armed Forces and claim

information; applications for

compensation, pension, education and

rehabilitation benefits; information

related to incarceration in a penal

institution; medication profile such as

name, quantity, prescriber, dosage,

manufacturer, lot number, cost and

administration instruction; pharmacy

dispensing information such as

pharmacy name and address.

The records will include information

on DoD military personnel from two

categories of DoD files: (1) Utilization

files that contain inpatient and

outpatient records, and (2) eligibility

files from the Defense Eligibility

Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS)

containing data on all military

personnel including those discharged

from the Armed Services since 1972.

The records will include information

on Medicare beneficiaries from HCFA

databases: Denominator file (identifies

the population being studied); Standard

Analytical files (inpatient, outpatient,

physician supplier, nursing home,

hospice, home care, durable medical

equipment); and Group Health Plan.

The records include information on

Medicaid beneficiaries’ utilization and

enrollment from state databases.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

Section 527 of 38 U.S.C. and the

Government Performance and Results

Act of 1993, Pub. L. 103–62.

PURPOSE(S):

The purpose of this system of records

is to conduct statistical studies and

analyses which will support the

formulation of Departmental policies

and plans by identifying the total

current health care usage of the VA

patient population.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSE OF SUCH USES:

Information from this system of

records may be disclosed in accordance

with the following routine uses:

1. Disclosure of identifying

information, such as names, SSNs,

demographic and utilization data, may

be made to Federal, State, local, or tribal

agencies such as the DoD, HCFA, and

Medicare Payment Advisory

Commission (MedPAC), as part of

statistical matching programs for the

purpose of better identifying the total

current health care usage of the patient

population served by VA in order to

forecast future demand for VA medical

care by VA medical facilities.

2. Disclosure may be made to Federal,

State, local, and tribal government

agencies and national health

organizations in order to assist in the

development of programs that will be

beneficial to claimants and assure that

they are receiving all benefits to which

they are entitled.

3. Disclosure may be made of

information relevant to or indicating a

violation or potential violation of law,

whether civil, criminal or regulatory in

nature, and whether arising by general

statute or particular program statute, or

by regulation, rule or order issued

pursuant thereto, to Federal, State, local,

or tribal agencies charged with the

responsibility of investigating or

prosecuting such violation or charged

with enforcing or implementing the

statute, or rule, regulation or order listed

pursuant thereto.

4. Disclosure may be made, excluding

name and address (unless name and

address are furnished by the requestor)

for research purposes determined to be

necessary and proper, to

epidemiological and other research

facilities approved by the Under

Secretary for Health.

5. In order to conduct Federal

research necessary to accomplish a

statutory purpose of an agency, at the

written request of the recipient agency,

the name (s) and address (s) of present

or former personnel of the Armed

Services and/or their dependents may

be disclosed (a) To a Federal department

or agency or (b) directly to a contractor

of a Federal department or agency.

When disclosure of this information is

to be made directly to the contractor,

VA may impose applicable conditions

on the department, agency and/or

contractor to insure the appropriateness

of the disclosure to the contractor.

6. Disclosure may be made to National

Archives and Records Administration

(NARA), General Services

Administration (GSA) in records

management inspections conducted

under authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and

2906.

7. Records from this system of records

may be disclosed to the Department of

Justice or in a proceeding before a court,

adjudicative body, or other

administrative body before which the

Agency is authorized to appear when:

The Agency, or any component thereof;

or any employee of the Agency in his or

her official capacity; where the

Department of Justice or the Agency has

agreed to represent the employee; or the

U.S. when the Agency determines that

litigation is likely to affect the Agency

or any of its components, is a party to

litigation, and has an interest in such

litigation, and the use of such records by

the Department of Justice or the Agency

is deemed by the Agency to be relevant

and necessary to the litigation provided,

however, that the disclosure is

compatible with the purpose for which

the records were collected.

8. Disclosure may be made to

individuals, organizations, private or

public agencies, etc., with whom VA

has a contract or agreement to perform

such services as VA may deem

practicable for the purposes of laws

administered by VA, in order for the

contractor or subcontractor to perform

the services of the contract or

agreement.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,

RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING AND

DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Data are maintained on magnetic tape,

disk, or laser optical media.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Records may be retrieved by name,

name and one or more criteria (e.g.,

dates of birth, death and service), SSN

or VA claim number.

SAFEGUARDS:

1. Access to and use of these records

is limited to those persons whose

official duties require such access.

Personnel screening is employed to

prevent unauthorized disclosure.

2. Access to Automated Data

Processing files is controlled at two

levels: (1) Terminals, central processing

units, and peripheral devices are

generally placed in secure areas (areas

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2001 / Notices 3653

that are locked or have limited access)

or are otherwise protected; and (2) the

system recognizes authorized users by

means of an individually unique

password entered in combination with

an individually unique user

identification code.

3. Access to automated records

concerning identification codes and

codes used to access various VA

automated communications systems and

records systems, as well as security

profiles and possible security violations

is limited to designated automated

systems security personnel who need to

know the information in order to

maintain and monitor the security of

VA’s automated communications and

veterans’ claim records systems. Access

to these records in automated form is

controlled by individually unique

passwords/codes. Agency personnel

may have access to the information on

a need to know basis when necessary to

advise agency security personnel or for

use to suspend or revoke access

privileges or to make disclosures

authorized by a routine use.

4. Access to VA facilities where

identification codes, passwords,

security profiles and possible security

violations are maintained is controlled

at all hours by the Federal Protective

Service, VA or other security personnel

and security access control devices.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Copies of back-up computer files will

be maintained at VA Management

Science Group, Bedford, Massachusetts,

and VA Information Resource Center,

Hines, Illinois.

Records will be maintained and

disposed of in accordance with the

records disposal authority approved by

the Archivist of the United States, the

National Archives and Records

Administration, and published in

Agency Records Control Schedules.

SYSTEM MANAGER AND ADDRESS:

Director, Management Science Group,

VA Medical Center, 200 Springs Road,

Bedford, Massachusetts 01730.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

Individuals wishing to inquire

whether this system of records contains

information about them should submit a

signed written request to the Director,

Management Science Group, VA

Medical Center, 200 Springs Road,

Bedford, Massachusetts 01730.

RECORDS ACCESS PROCEDURES:

An individual who seeks access to

records maintained under his or her

name or other personal identifier may

write the System Manager named above

and specify the information being

contested.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

(See Records Access Procedures above.)

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Information may be obtained from the

Patient Medical Records System

(24VA136); Patient Fee Basis Medical

and Pharmacy Records (23VA136);

Veterans and Beneficiaries

Identification and Records Location

Subsystem (38VA23); Compensation,

Pension, Education and Rehabilitation

Records (58VA21/22); and Automated

Medication Processing Records

(56VA119); DoD utilization files and

DEERS files; and HCFA Denominator

file, Standard Analytical files (inpatient,

outpatient, physician supplier, nursing

home, hospice, home care, durable

medical equipment) and Group Health

Plan, and State Medicaid beneficiaries’

utilization and enrollment databases.

[FR Doc. 01–1112 Filed 1–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Privacy Act of 1974; System of

Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA).

ACTION: Notice of New System of

Records ‘‘Agent Orange Registry—VA’’.

SUMMARY: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5

U.S.C. 552(e)(4)) requires that all

agencies publish in the Federal Register

a notice of the existence and character

of their systems of records. Notice is

hereby given that the Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) is establishing a

new system of records entitled, ‘‘Agent

Orange Registry—VA’’ (105VA131).

DATES: Comments on the establishment

of this system of records must be

received no later than February 15,

2001. If no public comment is received,

the new system will become effective

February 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments

concerning the proposed new system of

records may be submitted to the Office

of Regulations management (02D),

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810

Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC

20420. Comments will be available for

public inspection at the above address

in the Office of Regulatory Management,

Room 1158, between the hours of 8 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

(except holidays).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Veterans Health Administration Privacy

Act Officer (193B2), Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20420, (727) 320–

1839.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Description of the Proposed Systems

of Records.

The Agent Orange Registry located at

the Austin Automation Center (AAC),

Austin, Texas, is an automated

integrated system containing

demographic and medical data of

registry examinations from 1988 until

such time as the VA Secretary or

Congress by law ends the registry

program. These data were entered

manually on code sheets by VA facility

staff and copies sent to the AAC for

entry into the Agent Orange Registry

data set.

The purpose of this Agent Orange

Registry system of records is to provide

information about veterans who have

had an Agent Orange Registry

examination at a VA facility; to assist in

generating hypotheses for research

studies; provide management with the

capability to track patient

demographics; report birth defects

among veteran’s children; dioxin-related

diseases; planning and delivery of

health care services and associated

costs; and with relation to claims for

compensation may assist in the

adjudication of claims possibly related

to herbicide exposure although more

comprehensive medical records are

required for evaluation of subject

claims.

II. Proposed Routine Use Disclosures of

Data in the System

We are proposing to establish the

following routine use disclosures of

information which will be maintained

in the system:

1. The record of an individual who is

covered by this system may be disclosed

to a member of Congress or staff person

acting for the member when the member

of staff person requests the record on

behalf of, and at the written request of,

that individual.

Individuals sometimes request the

help of a member of Congress in

resolving some issue relating to a matter

before VA. The member of Congress

then writes VA, and VA must be able to

give sufficient information to be

responsive to the inquiry.

2. Disclosure of records covered by

this system, as deemed necessary and

proper to named individuals serving as

accredited service organization

representatives and other individuals

named as approved agents or attorneys

for a documented purpose and period of

time, to aid beneficiaries in the