Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 239 / Wednesday, December 13, 1995 / Notices 64097

eight (8) copies) that are submitted

timely to the IRS. All comments will be

available for public inspection and

copying. A public hearing may be

scheduled if requested in writing by a

person that timely submits written

comments. If a public hearing is

scheduled, notice of the date, time, and

place for the hearing will be published

in the Federal Register.

Dale D. Goode,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Assistant

Chief Counsel (Corporate).

[FR Doc. 95–30273 Filed 12–12–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4830–01-U

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Privacy Act of 1974; Report of

Matching Programs

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA).

ACTION: Notice of renewal—VA/IRS

Match Program.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),

Veterans Health Administration (VHA),

intends to renew the computer matching

program comparing Internal Revenue

Service (IRS) and Social Security

Administration (SSA) income records

with VA patient income data which is

contained in the patient medical

records.

The goal of these matches is to

compare income, social security

number, and employment status as

reported to VHA with income records

maintained by IRS and SSA. For the

information of all concerned, a

summary report of the VHA matching

program describing the computer

matches follows. In accordance with 5

U.S.C. 552a(o)(2), copies of the

computer matching report are being sent

to both houses of Congress. These

matches are expected to commence on

or about January 1, 1996, but start no

sooner than 30 days after publication of

this notice in the Federal Register or 40

days after copies of this notice and the

agreement are submitted to Congress

and the Office of Management and

Budget whichever is later. These

matches may be extended by the

involved Data Integrity Boards for a

twelve month period provided all

agencies involved certify to the Data

Integrity Boards, within three months of

the termination date of the original

match, that the matching program will

be conducted without change and the

matching programs have been

conducted in compliance with the

original matching agreements. The

matches will not continue past the

legislative authorized date to obtain this

information. However, expiration of this

agreement is June 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals may

comment on the matches by writing to

the Chief Administrative Officer (161D),

Veterans Health Administration,

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810

Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC

20420.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janice E. Wheeler (202) 273–6276,

Program Analyst, Income Verification

Match Policy Service.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Further

information regarding the matching

program is provided below. This

information is required by Title 5 U.S.C.

552a(e)(12), the Privacy Act of 1974, as

amended. A copy of this notice has been

provided to both houses of Congress and

the Office of Management and Budget.

Approved: December 4, 1995.

Jesse Brown,

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Report of Matching Program

Department of Veterans Affairs Patient

Medical Records With Income Records

Maintained by the Internal Revenue

Service and the Social Security

Administration

a. Authority: Title 38 U.S.C. 5106 and

5317; Pub. L. 101–508 as amended by

Pub. L. 102–568.

b. Program Description:

(1) Purpose: (a) The Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health

Administration (VHA) plans to match

the household income information

contained in the medical records of

certain nonservice-connected veterans,

with the income records for those

persons maintained by the Internal

Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social

Security Administration (SSA). Those

nonservice-connected veterans subject

to income verification matching are

those veterans who are receiving VA

medical care in a mandatory eligibility

category due to a finding of low income

subsequent to means testing.

(b) Currently, information about a

veterans household income (i.e.,

veterans and spouses receipt of wage,

self-employment and other income as

well as employment status, health

insurance coverage and number of

dependents) is obtained when the

veteran makes application for medical

care at a VA medical care facility. The

household income and dependent data

is evaluated in a ‘‘means test’’ which

takes into account deductions of certain

income not counted as such for Veterans

Health Administration eligibility

purposes. Once a net income for the

veteran is established, it is applied

against means test thresholds, or levels

of income establishing mandatory or

discretionary eligibility for medical

care. If the veterans net income falls

below the applicable means test

threshold, he or she is eligible for

mandatory care (i.e., no-cost care);

however, if the net income falls over the

applicable threshold, the veteran is

given a discretionary eligibility.

Veterans who are eligible for

discretionary care are provided care if

the VA medical facility has the

resources to treat discretionary veterans,

and if the veteran agrees to make a copayment for such care. The proposed

matching programs will enable VA to

verify the accuracy of reported income

and employment status and therefore

more accurately determine eligibility for

medical care.

(2) Procedures: VA’s Veterans Health

Administration has established an

Income Verification Match (IVM)

Center. The IVM Center will

electronically extra demographic and

income data from each VA medical care

facility’s database on nonserviceconnected veterans found eligible for

mandatory care based solely on low

income. The VHA IVM extract file will

be matched against IRS and SSA income

records. If a VHA record and SSA or IRS

record match on social security number

and name, the IVM Center will begin an

extensive case development and

verification process. This process will

assure the validity of the matched cases

by verifying the IRS/SSA reported

income amount with the payer(s) and

recipients of the income. Each veteran

and/or spouse identified by the match

will be contacted in order to notify the

veteran and/or spouse of any income

discrepancy identified by the match, to

verify the discrepancy, and to advise

him or her of potential changes to the

veterans’ medical care eligibility at the

VA medical center, and the potential

billing action for co-payments. Before

any adverse action is taken, the

individual(s) identified by the match

will be given the opportunity to contest

the findings. Where there are reasonable

grounds to believe that there has been

a violation of criminal laws, the matter

will be referred for prosecution

consideration in accordance with

existing VA policies.

c. Records to be Matched. The VA

records involved in the match are

patient medical records maintained in

the ‘‘Patient Medical Record-VA

(24VA136)’’ published at 40 FR 38095

(8/26/75) and amended at 40 FR 52125

(11/7/75), 41 FR 2881 (1/20/76), 41 FR

11631 (3/19/76), 42 FR 30557 (6/15/72),
64098 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 239 / Wednesday, December 13, 1995 / Notices

44 FR 31058 (5/30/79), 45 FR 77220 (11/

21/80), 46 FR 2766 (1/12/81), 47 FR

28522 (6/30/82), 47 FR 51841 (11/17/

82), 50 FR 11610 (3/22/85), 51 FR 25968

(7/17/86), 51 FR 44406 (12/9/86), 52 FR

381 (1/5/87), 53 FR 49818 (12/13/90), 55

FR 5112 (2/13/90), 55 FR 37604 (9/12/

90), 55 FR 42534 (10/19/90), 56 FR 1054

(1/10/91), 57 FR 28003 (6/23/92), 57 FR

4519 (10/1/92), 58 FR 29853 (5/24/93),

58 FR 40852 (7/30/93) and 58 FR 57674

(10/26/93). The IRS records are from the

Wage and Information Returns (IRP)

Master File, Privacy Act system Treas/

IRS 22.061. The SSA records are from

the Earnings Recording and SelfEmployment Income system, HHS/SSA/

OSR 09–60–0059.

d. Period of Match: The initial data

exchanges are expected to begin 40 days

after the matching agreements are

signed by the Data Integrity Boards

(DIB’s) and Congressional Offices and

OMB have been notified, and 30 days

from the date of publication of notice in

the Federal Register or 40 days from the

date this notice is approved, whichever

is later. These matches may be extended

by the involved DIB’s for a twelve

month period provided the agencies

participating in the match certify to the

DIB’s, within three months of the

determination date of the original

match, that the matching program will

be conducted without change and the

matching programs have been

conducted in compliance with the

original matching agreements. The

matches will not continue past the date

legislative authority to obtain this

information expires.

[FR Doc. 95–30137 Filed 12/12/95 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M

Privacy Act of 1974; New System of

Records—Automated Customer

Registration System (ACRS)—VA

(87VA045)

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice, new system of records.

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 adding a new

system of records entitled ‘‘Automated

Customer Registration System (ACRS)—

VA (87VA045)’’.

Federal computer security regulations

require that managers and operators of

Government computer systems maintain

control over who accesses the resources

of those systems. This system of records,

which will replace the PROS/Keys

system (67VA30), consists of the

administrative paperwork involved in

adding, modifying or deleting access

privileges to the computer resources at

the VA Austin Automation Center

(AAC), as well as a computer database

used to grant access to those resources.

The information maintained in this

system of records in hard copy and

electronic form will include the names

and social security numbers of VA

employees, employees of other

Government agencies and selected

authorized vendors who require access

to the computer resources at the AAC.

The records will also include business

address and telephone number, job title

and information relating to data file and

computer system access permissions

granted to that individual.

Release of information from these

records will only be made in accordance

with the provisions of the Privacy Act

of 1974 for investigatory, judicial and

administrative uses. VA has determined

that release of information for these

purposes is a necessary and proper use

of information in this system of records

and that specific routine uses for

transfer of this information are

appropriate.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Interested

persons are invited to submit written

comments, suggestions or objections

regarding the proposed system of

records to the Director, Office of

Regulations Management (02D),

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810

Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC

20420. All relevant material received

before January 12, 1996, will be

considered. All written comments

received will be available for public

inspection in the Office of Regulations

Management, Room 1176, 801 I Street

NW, Washington, DC 20001, between 9

a.m. and 4 p.m. only, Monday through

Friday (except Federal holidays) until

January 22, 1996.

If no public comment is received

during the 30-day review period

allowed for public comment, or unless

otherwise published in the Federal

Register by VA, the routine use

statements included herein are effective

January 12, 1996, and all other

provisions included herein are effective

January 12, 1996.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A ‘‘Report

of Intention to Publish a Federal

Register Notice of New System of

Records’’ and an advance copy of the

new system notice have been provided

to the Chairmen of the House

Committee on Government Reform and

Oversight and the Senate Committee on

Governmental Affairs, and the Director,

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB), as required by the provisions of

5 U.S.C. 522(r) (Privacy Act), guidelines

issued by OMB (50 FR 52730),

December 24, 1985, Pub. L. 100–503,

and follow-up OMB guidelines issued

July 25, 1994 (59 FR 37917).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nelda Cook (045/200B), Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue

NW., Washington, DC 20420, telephone

number (202) 565–8045.

Approved: December 1, 1995.

Jesse Brown,

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

87VA045

SYSTEM NAME:

Automated Customer Registration

System (ACRS)—Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA).

SYSTEM LOCATION:

The automated records are

maintained by the VA Automation

Center, 1615 Woodward Street, Austin,

TX 78772. The paper records will be

maintained at each VA field station that

has a responsibility for ACRS input.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM:

All Department of Veterans Affairs

employees, employees of other

Government agencies and authorized

contractor personnel who have

requested and have been granted access

to the automated resources of the VA’s

Austin Automation Center (AAC).

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

The records in this system, in both

paper and electronic form, will include

the names and social security numbers

of all personnel who have requested and

been granted access to the automated

resources at the AAC. The records will

also include business address and

telephone number, job title and

information relating to data file and

computer system access permissions

granted to that individual.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

Title 38, U.S.C. 501.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this system of records

is to allow the VA Austin Automation

Center (AAC) in Austin, TX, to maintain

a current list of all VA employees,

employees of other Government

agencies and authorized contractor

personnel who require access to the

computer resources of the AAC, in

accordance with Federal computer

security requirements.